Land Reform Rankles Venezuela Businesses

ap on Yahoo ^ | 9/27/05 | Christopher Toothaker - ap

[NormsRevenge]

CARACAS, Venezuela - A Venezuelan governor ordered the seizure of a plant owned by the country's largest food company Monday, the latest move in the federal government's land reform program.

Hugo de los Reyes Chavez, father of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and governor of the southwestern Barinas state, said the expropriation was justified because the plant was no longer being used.

Seizure of the plant owned by Ramavenca, an affiliate of Venezuelan food giant Alimentos Polar, exacerbated already tense ties between the government and business groups.

Business leader requested a meeting with Chavez to discuss concerns about expropriations and land reform.

"We want to speak with you, Mr. President," said Jose Luis Betancourt, president of the Fedecamaras business federation. "Businesspeople are indispensable for fighting poverty and underdevelopment, that's what we are here for."

Betancourt said the business chamber would cooperate with the government's land reform initiative, but demanded that rights to private property be respected in the process.

With backing from a legislature packed with his political allies, Chavez approved a law in 2001 that allows the state to seize private property.

So far, the government has claimed 21 ranches across the country under a program that aims to turn over to poor farmers lands that officials say aren't being put to adequate use or that lack documents to prove ownership as far back as 1847.

Soldiers have been deployed recently to enforce the state's claims to properties, while opposition leaders have called for demonstrations to protest.

In comments Monday, Chavez accused Venezuela's private media of trying to demonize land reform, when really it is about putting lands to use for the good of the country.

"These last couple of days have been a media war ... with them saying that we are going to take away private property again and again," he said.

Opponents of Chavez argue the former army lieutenant colonel is steering this poverty-stricken South American nation of 26 million toward Cuba-style communism.

Chavez denies it, saying he has always supported democracy and is attempting to move Venezuela toward a socialist economy, but not copying Cuba's system.

[NormsRevenge]

fyi

[NormsRevenge]

In this photo released by Venezuela's Miraflores Press, Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez, left, inaugurates an agricultural cooperative as leader of Brazil's Landless Rural Workers Movement, Joao Pedro Stedile, far right, and Venezuela's Land Minister Antonio Albarran, center, look on in Chavez's hometown of Sabaneta in Venezuela's western plains, Monday, Sept. 26, 2005. Venezuela's largest business federation announced it was willing to cooperate with the government's land reform initiative, but demanded that rights to private property be respected in the process. (AP Photo/Miraflores Press, Marcelo Garcia)

[.cnI redruM]

He just needs a Kilo decision out of his country's Supreme Court. Than he doesn't need to worry about no stinkin' property rights.

[Pessimist]

Only in Venezuela could seizing private property be termed "land reform"

[yankeedame]

Only in Venezuela ...and S. Africa and Zimb.... could seizing private property be termed "land reform"

[vrwc0915]

Only in Venezuela ...and S. Africa and Zimb.... could seizing private property be termed "land reform" better add new london,CT USA to that list

[samadams2000]

Yeah..communism tends to "rankle" things....

[Camel Joe]

Pay close attention to whom, and how many, praise Chavez when he imposes "land reform" on the press. In a short while I expect he will nationalize the press in order to control descent among the citizenry. I can hear Harry Belefonte and Danny Glover heaping praise upon Hugo even now. After all, a free press isn't necessary once capitalism has been defeated and its proponents are captured, killed, placed in work camps, or had their minds made right.

[marron]

There is a pretty steady brain-drain occurring right now in Venezuela as the people who oppose Chavez are forced out.

We are benefitting, as we usually do when a country's best and brightest show up on our shores. But Venezuela itself is headed down a very dark road, and turning it around is going to take a very stubborn fight. Just getting rid of Chavez isn't going to be enough, he has enormous support in the country which anyone who replaces him will have to confront and overcome.

Sadly, Chavez is not an aberration, he is an example of South America's natural populist political tendency, but in its pure and most toxic form. The opposition parties have been unable to present a credible alternative because philosophically they agree with him. This is the sad joke, that while they know at first hand the evil that Chavez represents, they believe the evil is merely in the execution of his job as leader, and not in the very philosophy he stands for.

His seizure of commercial property belonging to Venezuelans is waking some people up, but it also enhances his support among his natural power base. The fact that he feels strong enough to openly defy the most powerful businesses in the country is in itself telling. He is letting them know that, if they want to survive, they had better make their peace with him, or he will take everything they have.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

It's sickening.

Chavez is no democratic leader. He's a dictator.

God help Venezuela and God help the world with a man like Hugo Chavez in it.

[jagusafr]

"an affiliate of Venezuelan food giant Alimentos Polar"

Hey, that was my favorite beer when I went to Colegio Internacional de Caracas! NOW he's gone TOO FAR!

[marron]

Preach it, brother.