Commerce minister Julio Moltó and potentially president Jose Raul Mulino will meet with Chiquita executives to discuss the company’s possible return to production following its recent withdrawal
Panama’s commerce minister Julio Moltó has told reporters he will meet with Chiquita’s owner and senior executives as the country bids to secure the multinational’s return to banana production in the province of Bocas del Toro.
It is understood that the country’s president Jose Raul Mulino could also attend the meeting, after he indicated he would be willing to do so in an earlier press conference.
It remains unclear which Chiquita representatives will be present and whether they will include members of the Cutrale family, which owns the business, or group president Carlos López Flores.
Last week, Mulino dismissed reports of a potential lawsuit against Chiquita, which terminated production at its hub in Changuinola earlier this year and subsequently laid off all of its estimated 6,500 workers, following a highly disruptive labour dispute.
“Security, transparency, and legal stability will be the cornerstones of the negotiations with the company,” Moltó stated, “offering the company a safe working environment and open roads is the best demonstration that they will work with a serious government.”
