MARIELA LEON

EL UNIVERSAL

Within the next 90 days, a High Level Technical Committee created in rich farmland Cojedes State, some 255 kilometers from Caracas, will determine the new distribution of 52 percent of the land, whose use and boundaries are currently unknown to the authorities.

Regional government officials are currently conducting a research as provided for under decree 585/04 issued by the Cojedes State Governor's Office on December 9, 2004. Such a decree calls for the intervention of all state-owned or private urban, rural and agriculture lands.
 
Cojedes State governor Johnny Yánez Rangel told reporters that such committee is intended to determine whether the intervened estates are idle or not in proper production, or whether they are part of any latifundios or face tenure problems.

He indicated that the committee -comprised by regional government officials, agriculture and cattle-raiser associations, universities, and private companies- is to report directly to Yánez Rangel. He stressed that the National Land Institute (INT) has not signed any agreement entrusting the regional government with the INT functions. "We are not usurping functions here. We are cooperating with each other. Social justice cannot be sacrificed for legal technicalities. Besides, under the Constitution, we have a jurisdiction to enforce the law."
 
With support from Cojedes State Solicitor General Alexis Ortiz and legal advisor Alfredo D'Ascoli, once again, Yánez Rangel insisted that his land intervention decree is intended to put an end to social injustice and anarchy in land distribution. The regional leader explained that "intervention only means using power to put order and solve problems. Land expropriation is out of question."

He stated that when he took office, unemployment rate in Cojedes State amounted to 52 percent of the economically active population, and it has decreased to 37 percent. "It has decreased, but it is still high. Once land reform has taken place, we want to launch an economic development plan in this region, with endogenous development programs that are to boost agriculture and agriculture-related industry in the area."

Response to the British Embassy

Yánez Rangel seized the opportunity to respond to statements from the British Embassy to Venezuela in connection with Hato Charcote, a British-owned estate.

Yánez Rangel gave reporters a series of letters sent by the British government and Embassy warning that illegal land grabs took place in this estate and asking for the mediation of Cojedes State Governor's Office.

He described these public statements as a "mechanism to exercise pressure," and indicated that "sporadic invasions have occurred in Hato Charcote in areas where boundaries were changed. We have moved to correct this situation, and have given money to peasants to have them settled in tolerance zones and reach agreements to put an end to anarchy."

Yánez Rangel informed that during talks at the technical committee Jaime Pérez Branger, on behalf of Hato Piñero estate, proposed to donate some 18,000 hectares "to help eliminate misery and marginality and create a productive area with the technical and financial support of the government institutions."

Translated by Maryflor Suárez