Sobiesky : A geode is a sphere shaped rock which contains a hollow cavity lined with crystals.
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| Caribbean-Latin America | |||
| Chavez implements Bob-land style land seizures | |||
| 2005-03-14 | |||
| The Venezuelan government is to press ahead with plans to expropriate a large British-owned farm, sparking fears of largescale nationalisation of private property under the leftwing government. The national lands institute ruled at the weekend that the landowner - Agroflora, an affiliate of the Vestey Group, owned by the tycoon Lord Vestey - did not have a legitimate claim to the land. The planned takeover is part of moves to redistribute 96,440 hectares (238,620 acres) to the poor. The government will take over all of Lord Vestey's 13,600-hectare El Charcote cattle ranch and the Pinero Ranch animal reserve, the land agency said. It will also take over a third private ranch, El Coco, and most of a fourth, the Borges Ranch. None of the ranch owners could be reached for comment. It remains unclear when the government plans to take possession of the lands. According to President Hugo Chävez's 2001 land reform law, the state can expropriate farmland if it is declared idle, or if rightful ownership is not proved as far back as 1830. Critics denounce the law as a threat to private property, but Mr Chävez says most farms were acquired through illegal dealings before he became president in 1999. The Chävez constitution, passed in 1999, says latifundios - landholdings of more than 5,000 hectares - are "contrary to the social interest". It states that private property can be expropriated in case of "public use or social interest," but the government must compensate the owner. The government has not said how much it will pay the owners of the four ranches.
Agroflora said several weeks ago it could prove ownership back to 1830. It said the ranch was not "idle", as officials had said, but had been invaded by up to 1,000 squatters.
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| Posted by:Steve White |
| #14 Dont forget to thank that meddling asshat Jimmy Carter. |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2005-03-14 1:09:23 AM |
| #13 Dont forget to thank that meddling asshat Jimmy Carter. |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2005-03-14 1:09:23 AM |
| #12 Article: According to the 1998 official census, 1% of the population owns 60% of agricultural land. And 5% of the Venezuelan economy involves agriculture. You gotta love the Guardian - all the news that's fit to distort. |
| Posted by: Zhang Fei 2005-03-14 2:09:03 PM |
| #11 If I owned that land,it would be salted,scorched earth when I left. |
| Posted by: raptor 2005-03-14 10:11:57 AM |
| #10 Notice the land grab is of an English owned farm (finca-estate). This is the old Spain-England rivalry and wars carried forward. Since this is anti-Anglo Chavez will have no problems implementing this, his first land seizure. He's getting his toes wet. |
| Posted by: sea cruise 2005-03-14 7:50:01 AM |
| #9 BigEd, Jimmuh would be lucky if he had crystals in there! |
| Posted by: Sobiesky 2005-03-14 7:23:02 AM |
| #8 Jimmuh, curse be upon his... whatever is it, instead of brain, in his skull. Sobiesky : A geode is a sphere shaped rock which contains a hollow cavity lined with crystals. |
| Posted by: BigEd 2005-03-14 5:48:42 AM |
| #7 I don't discount a Demo taking the Whitehouse in 2008. I am not that stupid. They could do it. If we let up one tiny bit they will take advantage of it. I never thought I would see Frank Lautenburg back in the Senate, he is in the senate back to the SOS. I never though the people of New York would send a Chuck Schummer to the Senate, he is a US Senator. Never say never. This land grab thing is to be expected as Hugo drags his country into the sewer. After all his heros are Castro and Mugabe. He is just another stupid marxist. He has a mouth that will write a check it can't cash and he will end up dead. Not at our hand. Someone close to him will put a bullet in him. He will die a hero of the "revolution" and a new dictator will take his place. The only way Hugo will get taken out by us is if he does something stupid like baseing Iranian or Chinese missles in his territory. Then we will take him and the missles out. |
| Posted by: Sock Puppet of Doom 2005-03-14 5:32:37 AM |
| #6 JFM, yet, we did not get Gore (I am still officially canuck and have to admit that Martin's government sucks, perhaps less so than Cretin's one but majorly sucks nonetheless. But he's no Chavez, and once a while he makes a lucid pronouncement--about once every two years). Even if we did get Gore, he would last 4 years, not more, the Donks demise would have been only prolonged. There would have been probably a lot of damage to be repaired. Did not happen. Blessed be the good fortune. The chances of Donks coming back to WH are melting like last-year's snow. Life is good. |
| Posted by: Sobiesky 2005-03-14 5:05:12 AM |
| #5 Dittos..count our blessings. |
| Posted by: Snush Snuth2112 2005-03-14 4:41:20 AM |
| #4 Sobieski I suppose you caan apply the "people get the governments they deserve" to the Carter generation and don't forget that you were very, very, very close to have a Gore government... |
| Posted by: JFM 2005-03-14 3:59:02 AM |
| #3 ... Jimmuh, curse be upon his... whatever is it, instead of brain, in his skull. |
| Posted by: Sobiesky 2005-03-14 2:24:23 AM |
| #2 Dont forget to thank that meddling asshat Jimmy Carter. |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2005-03-14 1:09:23 AM |
| #1 Color me unsurprised. My commiseration with Venezuelans as they are into a very sucky period, indeed. It would sound cynical, but people get governments they deserve. That was glass half empty version. The glass half full version: For godsakes, Venezuelans, get the government you deserve! |
| Posted by: Sobiesky 2005-03-14 12:27:06 AM |