Claims Against Coke Bottlers Dismissed

AP ^ | 10/3/6 | CURT ANDERSON

[SmithL]

A federal judge has dismissed lawsuits that claimed Coca-Cola bottling plants in Colombia conspired with paramilitary groups to kill, torture and intimidate people to eliminate labor union activity.

The judge asserted he lacked jurisdiction because the complaints in the lawsuits were "vague."

"Demonstrating indirect liability for human rights abuses on the part of corporate entities is an inherently difficult task," U.S. District Judge Jose Martinez wrote in his 54-page ruling dated Friday.

The lawsuits, filed in 2001 by the Colombian union Sinaltrainal and several workers, accused Atlanta-based Coca-Cola Co. and four of its bottling affiliates in Colombia of hiring or conspiring with right-wing paramilitary groups to use violence in an effort to rid the plants of union activity.

[Axhandle]

"... Coca-Cola bottling plants in Colombia conspired with paramilitary groups to kill, torture and intimidate people to eliminate labor union activity."

Even if they did, who cares?

[bruinbirdman]

Afghanistan? Locale of the next huge bottling plant.

yitbos

[ConqueringId]

They had a group on facebook about this, it was called "Killer Coke". As soon as I read the "facts" presented, I knew I didn't believe it.

Someone reposted a critique on it, which I think is very true; the argument seems to be conveniently avoiding the big picture. Instead of acknowledging the corrupted infrostructure of the Columbian businesses, dumb Americans seek to remedy a very large problem by blaming a single company and product. There's a lot more at work here than Coca Cola, and we'll need a lot of evidence against that to prove otherwise.