Questioning the Banana Republic: A Comparative Case Study of the Implications for Local Workers of the United Fruit Companies\u27 Operations in Ecuador and Colombia

The market for internationally traded bananas has grown considerably throughout the 20“^ century, with bananas being grown almost entirely in developing countries and the vast majority of imports destined for developed countries’ markets. Historically, the global banana trade has been dominated by just a few large transnational corporations (TNCs), and if there has been once constant in the evolution of the global banana market in the Americas throughout the twentieth century, then it has been the United Fruit Company. The role of the United Fruit Company within the global banana market has been the subject of significant study and analysis, leading to a wide range of interpretation from scholars and theorists. Portrayals of the Company have varied, but the negative connotations and concepts of the “banana republic” have become common. United Fruit has often been stereotyped as a quintessential example of U.S. corporate imperialism. The Company has been criticized as a structured monopoly that has profited from concessions offered by corrupt national politicians, the exploitation of weak economies, and the systematic oppression of powerless workers in Latin America. Through my investigation of the contemporary banana-export sectors of two of the world’s largest banana producing countries, Ecuador and Colombia, I have found that the banana-export industry in Latin America has become quite complex, differing from one region and country to another, especially regarding the direct role of banana TNCs like the United Fruit Company in production. Moreover, the implications for the treatment of local workers of United Fruit’s operative presence may also have been more complex than the assumptions associated with imperialism or the proverbial “banana republic” necessarily allow. Just as the global banana market has evolved over time, so have my goals and the path pursued in my research of the global banana market and the United Fruit Company in Latin America. The final result is a comparative case study of the development, shifts and fluctuations of the Company’s operations in Ecuador and Colombia throughout the twentieth century. In particular, I analyze what have been the implications of these trends for local banana workers in each of these two countries. Furthermore, I assess to what extent the depictions that have resulted from a century of investigation have succeeded in accurately capturing the role played by the United Fruit Company regarding the treatment of local banana workers in Latin America