Moreover, the Enquirer is hardly the only source of information on the practices of Chiquita and other banana companies. A substantial and convincing body of evidence demonstrates that banana companies abuse the rights of workers in Central America and beyond. Union busting, underpay, intimidation and substandard conditions including exposure to highly toxic pesticides are but a few of the practices which have characterized this industry since long before the Enquirer ever thought to expose one of the companies involved. While it is unfortunate that we will no longer be able to cite the Enquirer as a source, our work was never dependent on any for-profit publishing organization. The workers whose livelihood and lives are at stake and the unions which represent them always are the primary source of information for our campaigns.
Plans continue for building an international campaign in solidarity with banana plantation workers.
Meanwhile, we are continuing to post alerts as needed. Just yesterday, we posted an alert on developments in Guatemala, where there has been labor strife on plantations supplying Chiquita and Del Monte Fresh Produce. The mainstream press was mostly silent when the Enquirer first published its expose. In a curious twist of fate, the paper's apology finally has made the Chiquita story an important news item. Although the Enquirer clearly is now out of the running on investigative reportage of Chiquita, the interest of others has been tweaked.