On November 29, 2016, a federal court in Florida issued a long-awaited ruling denying Chiquita’s last effort to have the case dismissed brought by thousands of Colombian nationals who sued Chiquita for funding the AUC paramilitary units that murdered their family members.  Chiquita’s latest effort was a desperate move to have the case transferred to Colombia after almost 8 years of complex litigation in the U.S. Court.  The Florida Court agreed with the plaintiffs that it was fair to have the trial in the United States, where the Chiquita executives who made the decisions to fund the AUC for years are located.  The court stated, “The United States has a strong interest in monitoring and deterring unethical and illegal conduct of American corporations in supporting foreign terrorist organizations.”...The court’s ruling now clears the way for the families to take discovery from Chiquita, get company documents and take testimony from the Chiquita executives who put profits over human lives.  Lawyers for the families plan to begin immediately to get the case ready for trial.  The court’s ruling did conclude that some of the clients represented by International Rights Advocates did not have timely claims under Colombian wrongful death law.  The group’s lawyers are assessing the legal options, including an appeal...