Bocas and PANAMA’s dependence on the magical “Banana” has caused quite the shitstorm.

About 1,000 banana workers attempted to return this week to five farms operated by Ilara Holdings , a concessionaire of the Chiquita banana company in Bocas del Toro , following a court ruling that declared their nearly two-month strike illegal.

However, upon arriving at their former workplaces, the workers found no machinery, tools, or administrative staff: the farms were deserted.

“It’s our only livelihood,” said one of the workers, emphasizing the importance of preserving jobs in a province marked by unemployment and dependence on the banana sector. Although everything indicates that, at least in this case, there’s no turning

According to sources close to the process, Chiquita has terminated the lease agreements for five farms operated by the concessionaire Ilara Holdings. In fact, when the protests in Bocas del Toro were first reported, Chiquita announced the gradual closure of these farms.

Empty farms and no answers in Bocas del Toro: the bitter return of a thousand banana workers — Aerial view of the city of Changuinola surrounded by a sea of banana plantations. Photo: LP / Alexander Arosemena

In the Ilara Holdings case, the proceedings initially stalled because the union avoided direct notification, forcing the court to resort to edict notification. However, the High Court recently upheld the strike’s illegality in the appeal, paving the way for further administrative decisions.

Chiquita, in turn, formally suspended operations with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MICI) more than eleven weeks ago. The closure announcement and contract termination left hundreds of workers unemployed and without immediate prospects for reemployment.

The company closes ranks

Now, the company has closed ranks and is exploring options to partially resume operations, but under different conditions: without the union that led the protests and with a new labor structure that would reduce losses, which have exceeded 5% annually for the past five years.

It was also learned that Chiquita representatives have held informal talks with the minister of labor, Javier Moltó, although without any public commitments. Confidentially, the company has expressed a willingness to resume operations, provided it is allowed to hire new personnel or reconfigure its working relationship with another union.

The situation has generated political and social tensions in the region, where nearly 7,000 jobs have been affected. The government has accused unions of maintaining intransigent positions that led to massive job losses.

The negotiations

Amid the talks, Minister Moltó indicated that a possible return to operations could recover 20% of the workforce, equivalent to approximately 1,000 to 1,200 workers. This staff would initially be dedicated to cleaning farms, assessing damage, saving useful plants, and harvesting exportable fruit affected by diseases such as sigatoka.

Chiquita currently owns 31 farms in Bocas del Toro, covering approximately 5,000 hectares. The five farms leased from Ilara Holdings are no longer in its portfolio. The company plans to focus on its own lands for a gradual recovery of production.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Labor approved this week the dismissal authorization for the remaining employees, due to abandonment and suspension of work. The ruling became final after exhausting legal remedies.

In total, an estimated 1,400 workers were laid off in this final stage of the conflict. If the company decides to return, it would do so from scratch, legally speaking, although it would likely hire much of the same trained personnel, but under different union conditions. Chiquita’s immediate future in Bocas del Toro will depend on the success of the ongoing negotiations.