Mission Zamora
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Mission Zamorais an integratedland reformand landredistributionprogram inVenezuela,created in law by theLey de Tierras( "Law of Land" ), part of a package of 49 decrees made byHugo Chávezin November 2001. The plan is named in honor ofEzequiel Zamora,a 19th-century Venezuelan peasant leader.[1]
Background
[edit]Venezuela's rural areas have seen substantial economicdisinvestment,governmental neglect, depopulation, and abandonment ever since oil wealth was discovered in the early 20th century; as a consequence Venezuela now has an urbanization rate of more than 85%—among the highest in Latin America—and is, despite its vast tracts of highly fertile soil and arable land, a net food importer. TheLey de Tierras— "Law of the Lands" —was passed by presidential decree in November 2001; it included the creation of Plan Zamora to implementland reforms,including redistribution, in Venezuelan agriculture. The plan was created for several pressing reasons: to stimulate theagriculturalsector in Venezuela in order to providefood securityto the country (the only net food importer inLatin America) and more economic activity, to break up the concentrated economic power of thelatifundios(75–80% of land owned by 5% of landowners, 2% owned 60% of farmland;[citation needed]60% of agricultors do not possess any land[2][better source needed]) and redistribute wealth to the poor in Venezuela, and to discourageurbanization,which creates heavy burdens on city services in theslumsofCaracasand other Venezuelan cities.[citation needed]
Underutilized or unused private corporate and agricultural estates would now be subject toexpropriationafter "fair-market" compensation was paid to the owners. Inheritable, inalienable, and at times communal land grants were also gifted to small farmers and farmer's collectives. The rationale given for this program was that it would provide incentives for the eventual and gradual repopulation of the countryside and provide "food security"for the country by lessening the present dependence on foreign imports. There are three types of land that may be distributed under the program:[citation needed]
- government land,
- land that is claimed by private owners, but whose claims the government disputes (including centennially inherited land)
- and underutilized private land (including second homes, and investment property).
To date, the Chávez government has only distributed the first two types of land.[citation needed]
Legal specifications
[edit]There are three components to the Plan's legal specifications:[citation needed]
- A legal limit (a capped limit) on the size of landholdings, which varies based on conditions between 1 and 50 km2.
- A tax on unused land holdings.
- A program for distribution of government and expropriated (with compensation) unused private lands.
Venezuelan citizens between the age of 18 and 25 or who head a family may petition to benefit from the Plan's land redistribution programs. The Plan's participants are first granted a piece of land tohomesteadandcultivate;if they cultivate it continuously for three years, they are then given official title to the land. This government-recognized title may then be inherited by the participants' relations, but its sale is legally proscribed.[citation needed]
Implementation
[edit]Three institutions were created to carry out the land distribution program: theInstituto Nacional de Tierras( "National Land Institute" ), which overseesland tenancy;theInstituto Nacional de Desarrollo Rural( "National Rural Development Institute" ), which oversees aid to farmers, including technical expertise and equipment, and theCorporación de Abastecimiento y Servicios Agrícolas( "Agricultural Corporation of Supplies and Services" ), to help with marketing. By the end of 2003, 60,000 families had received temporary title to a total of 55,000 km2of land under this plan.[citation needed]
Controversy
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The taking of private land proved controversial among Venezuelan land owners since the introduction of The Land Law of 2001, with one Chávez ally, former governor ofCojedes stateJhonny Yanez Rangel stating during a speech that "private property… is a right, but not absolute", while also placing emphasis on the importance of "the collective interest".[4]The military was often involved in land takeovers, with some allegations of theBolivarian National Guardviolently taking land from families.[4]In 2010, Venezuela tied withChadandZimbabwefor 2nd worst property rights in the world according to theInternational Property Rights Index[citation needed]fromAmericans for Tax Reform,aconservativeU.S.advocacy group.By 2014, the International Property Rights Index rated Venezuela as having the worst property rights in the world.[5]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^"HUGO CHAVEZ: VENEZUELA'S NEW BANDITO OR ZORRO?".Retrieved8 August2024.
- ^Maurice Lemoine,Venezuela: the promise of land for the people,Le Monde diplomatique,October 2003(in English, French, Portuguese, and Esperanto)
- ^"Venezuela National Guard Surrounds a House, Terrorizes Family, Attempts to Plant Weapons".Hispolitica. 10 July 2015.Retrieved11 July2015.
- ^ab"Venezuela eyes private land for agrarian reforms".Arizona Daily Sun.8 January 2005.Retrieved11 July2015.
- ^"he International Property Rights Index 2014".International Property Rights Index.Archived from the original on July 11, 2015.Retrieved11 July2015.
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External links
[edit]- (es)Mission zamora venezuelaon official government web site
- New Left Review: "Collision in Venezuela"
- Narco News: "Land Reform in Venezuela"
- "Agrarian Reform in Venezeuela"