Daniel Marín López

Este archivo solo abarca los artículos del autor incorporados a este sitio a partir del 1 de octubre de 2006. Para fechas anteriores realice una búsqueda entrecomillando su nombre.

The supply of expert evidence can be large, diverse and competitive in trials such as the one against the Chiquita banana company, but it is these experts who often shape the verdict of the courts. Photo: © Mike Mozart

As explained in a previous article, the recent Chiquita trial has once again shed some light on the complexities of holding corporations accountable for their involvement in human rights abuses, particularly in conflict zones and transitional justice contexts. While the trial itself gained significant attention due to its landmark verdict, the issues it raises are part of a broader, global, and highly technical challenge: proving corporate complicity in contexts of armed conflict and rampant human rights violations through expert testimonies in legal proceedings. Such cases highlight the difficult task of establishing causal links between corporate actions and the atrocities committed, a challenge that resonates beyond the courtroom.…  Seguir leyendo »

Members of Colombian paramilitary organisations on patrol in Medellin in 2002, shortly before their demobilisation and the numerous revelations about their crimes. Photo : © Fernando Vergara / AFP

On June 10, 2024, a jury in Florida, USA, delivered a landmark ruling in the fight for justice for the crimes committed during Colombia’s armed conflict, holding Chiquita Brands International liable for 38 million dollars in damages. The verdict found that Chiquita, the multinational and internationally renowned banana company, failed to act as “a reasonable business person” and provided substantial assistance to the United Self-Defence Forces of Colombia (AUC, for its Spanish acronym), a paramilitary organization designated as a terrorist group by the United States. This financing, carried out for profit, contributed to a wave of crimes and human rights violations, including the murder of hundreds of civilians.…  Seguir leyendo »