Laid-off workers from the U.S.-based banana company Chiquita Brands said on Monday that they are hoping for the company’s return to Panama, after it halted operations in the country due to millions in losses caused by two months of protests. Chiquita laid off more than 6,500 employees at its plant in Changuinola, in the Caribbean province of Bocas del Toro, after workers went on strike on April 28 and blocked roads in opposition to a pension reform.
“Workers are desperate because those who worked for Chiquita depended on their daily labor,” said Héctor Palacio, who lost his job after 14 years at the company. “The situation is very tough for us because we’ve already gone two months without work, and little by little, it’s drained the few savings we had,” said Arcelio Valencia, who also lost his job at the banana company.
Due to the strike, Chiquita halted its operations in Panama and, a month ago, estimated its losses at over $75 million. Now the workers are urging the government to open talks with the company to resume operations. “There is no other industry that can provide 7,000 jobs in the province,” so it is “very necessary” to reach an agreement for Chiquita to “continue the production process” in Panama, said Palacio.
On Monday, the Panamanian government announced the reopening of all roads in the province, where it had suspended freedom of movement and assembly for 10 days to calm the protests. Bocas del Toro is a region of more than 100,000 inhabitants that relies mainly on tourism and bananas, which became the country’s top export after the 2023 court-ordered shutdown of a copper mine.
Bananas accounted for 17.5% of Panama’s exports in the first quarter of this year, according to official figures. Minister of Commerce and Industry, Julio Moltó, stated that the government is in “talks” with Chiquita to see how to “not only ensure the company stays, but also invests more so we can continue supporting this major export industry.”
However, “this will take some time,” as the plantations “have deteriorated significantly and the fruit has been damaged,” Moltó told Telemetro.
