Deadly Chiquita bananas

Maria shows a photo from her confirmation.

Many bananas that are sent to Europe were grown on land stolen by powerful plantation owners. They hire paramilitaries who frighten and drive away poor farmers

The Queen of the Ocean

On the day when the Queen of the Ocean shall be chosen Sofia and Maria are not thinking of war and killing. They run with happily along the streets. People watching throw buckets with corn meal and water over all those in the parade. Before the day is over many are soaked to the skin and their hair is full of sticky meal.

Deadly Chiquita bananas

Millions of green bananas are shipped out from the harbour town Turbo where Maria, 12, lives. Many of them are marked Chiquita when they reach their buyers in Europe. But even bananas kill in Colombia. Rich and powerful plantation owners hire paramilitaries to frighten away the poor small farmers and take their land. Then they grow bananas for export on the stolen land. Maria's father was shot to death and his family forced to flee.

Maria is part of the same group in the Children's Peace Movement as Sofia. She dreams of becoming an actress in a soap-opera and when the Children's Peace Movement comes to her block there is much dancing and singing.
- We haven't always lived here in Turbo. We used to live in a village in the countryside. But we had to run away and leave everything, relates Maria.

Soldiers came
It was four year ago. Even as they walked into the village the villagers saw that the soldiers hadn't come there to act nice.
- Papa became paralyzed with fear and closed the door. Mama and we children stopped talking and just sat there quietly and waited. Suddenly there was a pounding on the door and the soldiers rushed in. They screamed at mother and father that they had to leave immediately, otherwise they would kill us all!.
Maria hasn't forgotten what happened.
- They shot several farmers in the head, over and over again. I was so afraid that I shook and my little brother Juan hid under the bed.
- One of the soldiers grabbed papa, threw him out on to the road and said that we had to leave. If we stayed we would die. Papa spoke with Mama and said that the children must be taken to safety. He went in to town to find us a place to stay. We children stayed with mama in the village. Some weeks later we learned a terrible thing. Papa was dead!

Left everything
- Someone had followed papa to town, forced their way into the house where he lived and shot him. When mama heard this she decided that we too had to escape. We left everything, our fields, house, all our furniture and ran away to town.
- We were lucky. The priest put our names down on a list of people who would be given land on which to build a new home. We are now eight people. Myself and mother, her companion and five siblings.
- I go to school, but it's hard to get enough money to pay for school, the books and school uniforms. Mama doesn't earn enough by working as a maid. But now she is learning to sew dresses so maybe we will get more money and all of the children will be able to go to school. Mama's dresses are very pretty, they could be worn by a queen or an angel.

Worried about Mama
The worst thing for Maria is when she hears shots in town or in the refugee neighborhood where she lives.
- It feels as though everything is stopping. My heart pounds and I can't help thinking that maybe Mama, my brothers or my sisters are dying. It is like a nagging worry, that Mama may go out one day and never return. Maria loves her mother very much.
- The most important thing for we children is to receive love, that adults give us a lot of hugs and allow us to attend school. When I come home I usually help my Mama, or take care of my doll. I like to dance and my friends and I love music, especially vallenato and reggae.

Read about the violence in Colombia
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