Members of cooperatives and workers celebrated withdrawal of the Banana Transnational company Chiquita Brand from Panama, which has controlled fruit business in the country for the last 80 years. The event was celebrated with a ceremony at Baru locality, Chiriqui western province that was attended by ministers of Agricultural Development Guillermo Salaza and Labor Edwin Salamin, according to reports here on Saturday.
The Multiple Services Cooperative of Armuelles Port bought assets from Chiquita on April 25, 2003 through 29 million dollars in credit granted by the government. However, it later canceled the new contract of fruit sale to the company amidst large workers protest against the conditions imposed by the company that facilitated profiteering.
The General Secretary of the Chiriqui Land Company Salustiano de Gracia said that massive social changes are expected in the banana area and ratified the commitment to get the cooperative off the ground. The transnational was first operating under the name of United Fruit Company leaving a trail of suffering in the nations of the region where it imposed governments and dictatorships subordinated to the interests of US business.