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Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Chavez seizes farmland, but good things on the horizon
Nothing says “commie” quite like a land seizure.
In 1959, Che Guevara said that the main priority of the new Cuban government was "the social justice that land redistribution brings about." With the help of 100,000 soldiers, El Che introduced the Agrarian Reform Law which allowed land owned by foreigners to be seized and all private holdings above 1000 acres to be redistributed or nationalized.
This week, 50 years after Che, the Venezuelan government has taken control of 31 farms totalling more than 48,000 acres, accusing owners of not holding proper titles or not putting the land to adequate use.
Agriculture Minister Elias Jaua was responsible for overseeing the expropriations, which included a ranch belonging to exiled presidential candidate Manuel Rosales, according to a report from The Morning Star entitled “Chavez frees farmland from privateers.”
Representing the so-called privateers, the Venezuelan Federation of Chambers of Commerce opposes this move to liberate farmland from its rightful owners.
Tragically, as Chavez tightens his grip on agriculture, we can expect food in that country to become increasing scarce and expensive.
But hope does spring eternal. January First Real Estate specializes in Latin America and writes that “Venezuela is fast becoming one of the best options for international investment, both for internal and global situations.”
I think I’ll stay invested in Saskatchewan, where scalpers are dangerous subversives but land owners are safe, at least for the time being.
Posted by Matthew Johnston on November 25, 2009 | Permalink
Comments
CHE!!!!
Hero of the people.
Posted by: DrGreenthumb | 2009-11-25 12:04:03 PM
That's crazy talk, DGT.
Posted by: Matthew Johnston | 2009-11-25 12:29:11 PM
Now if he built an airport on these lands, how about P.E.T. for a name ?
Posted by: Marc | 2009-11-25 9:54:53 PM
When it all backfires, socialists will blame it on imperialist meddling. Because we all know how well central economic planning works well. It's just those damned imperialists that ruin it.
Posted by: Mike Brock | 2009-11-26 11:25:22 PM
WTF? Seizing idle land of a corrupt politician who fled the country to avoid justice is a bad thing? And you conveniently link that into making food problems in the country worse. huh? Idle land doesn't affect currently working land, and the producers and distributors are controlled by a few businessmen who's interest it is to destabilise Venezuela in order to force Chavez out. The problem lies in being held ransom by the limited producers and relying on too much imports. Agrarian reform is essential to resolve food problems in the long term but also to allow people to migrate out of cities.
Posted by: Cosmo Dub | 2009-12-21 7:06:23 PM
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