Anti-Union, Threats and Murder in Colombia: Lesser-Known Coca-Cola Controversies
One of the worst controversies Coca-Cola was involved in took place in Colombia and involved severe allegations of collusion with paramilitary death squads,
resulting in the torture and killing of union activists that worked at a bottling plant for the soda company.
In 2003, trade unions worldwide
organized a boycott against Coca-Cola, accusing the bottling managers at a Colombian Coca-Cola plant of engaging illegal paramilitary groups to intimidate, threaten, use violence and even commit murder against union members and other employees, with the intention of suppressing union activities.
The trade union alleged that Coca-Cola’s bottling plant hired far-right militias associated with the United Self Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC) to carry out the murders of nine union members at Colombian bottling plants within a span of 13 years.
Notably, Coca-Cola strategically
targeted union members in Colombia during contract negotiations. Other disturbing incidents have taken place, such as the kidnapping and torture of a 15-year-old son of a union member, as well as the murder of another member’s brother, both perpetrated by paramilitary forces reportedly contracted by Coca-Cola.