Posted on 10/10/2005 10:23:39 AM PDT by Tailgunner Joe
CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) - Venezuelan officials said on Sunday they would occupy more cattle land run by British meat producer Vestey as part of President Hugo Chavez's agrarian redistribution program for the poor.
Authorities have stirred fears over property rights and investment by sending troops and state-backed co-operatives to occupy farmland as Chavez accelerates his self-described socialist revolution in Venezuela, a top oil producer.
National Land Institute director Richard Vivas told the state news agency that officials will move against land at three Vestey ranches under a law allowing expropriation of idle farms and confiscation of those without proper documents.
A former soldier who often invokes Jesus Christ as his "commander," Chavez on Sunday defended his land reforms citing Vatican documents to compare his project to Catholic doctrine rather than the communist model critics say he follows.
"We don't deny the right to private property, but even the Bible says private property should have its justification and use for the public good," Chavez said during his regular Sunday television broadcast.
After winning a referendum last year, Chavez has spent millions of dollars in revenues from high world oil prices to accelerate social reforms, including health and education programs backed by experts sent from Cuba.
Land redistribution is a key reform. Authorities say they have occupied 20 farms so far this year and plan to seize land on a total of 50 by the end of the year.
Critics worry the land reforms are sustainable only as long as oil prices stay high and say recent farm seizures will scare off investors. Private farm associations say the take-overs are arbitrary and have ignored due process.
The land institute had ruled that four out of 14 Vestey-run farms in Venezuela were either idle or should be considered public land -- El Charcote, Los Cocos, La Bendicion Ramera and Hato San Pablo Paeno.
Vivas said authorities will this week claim a second part of El Charcote and land at Los Cocos and Pablo Paeno. Officials have set co-operatives to work on parts of El Charcote while Vestey has appealed against the rulings.
The tyranny of socialism at its best ~ Bump!
You'd think that the American liberals would be outraged, but instead, they love him.
Socialism must sound great until corrupt goverments take your stuff while pointing a gun at you.
In this case, Chavez's intentions are good, but his methods are way off base.
Reuters just makes me sick.
Of course the leftists scum can't seem to come right out and support what the oxygen thief Chavez has done here. So instead they find a way to spin this particular event being caused by the actions of a hypocritcal "Catholic/Christian" citing the Vatican as his model.
The press isn't completely stupid. They know that no one in their right mind would support something like this so they just take the opportunity to make yet another dig at Christianity. Worthless scumbags.
Unfortunately, the Catholic Church has unwittingly encouraged this by trying to engage Chavez on helping the poor.
Hummm, reminds me of a country in africa I've been reading about where they stole the farms from the owner and gave the farms to the poor and now they are all starving.
"A former soldier who often invokes Jesus Christ as his "commander," Chavez on Sunday defended his land reforms"
How DARE you criticize this man? He professes to be a Christian, so we should just TRUST him!
In fact, he sounds like a great Supreme Court nominee! He'd even have been in the majority on the Kelo case?
"A former soldier who often invokes Jesus Christ as his "commander," Chavez on Sunday defended his land reforms"
How DARE you criticize this man? He professes to be a Christian, so we should just TRUST him!
In fact, he sounds like a great Supreme Court nominee! He'd even have been in the majority on the Kelo case!
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