* Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez said on October 23 that talks are under way with legal representatives of firm Agroflora, a representative in Venezuela for British Vestey Group, to reach a settlement similar to that attained with Carlos Azpúrua, representative of La Marqueseña ranch, and Jaime Pérez Branger, representative of La Paraima ranch.

* "The Chá-Az method (for Chávez-Azpúrua) is working all right," he said, referring to friendly agreements intended to solve disputes over the ownership of plots of land the government has seized.

* He added that Richard Vivas, president of the National Land Institute (INTI), and Jesús Aguilarte, governor of Apure state, launched talks with Diana Santos, a representative for Agroflora, to negotiate delivery by the British company of a portion of the 304,000-hectare ranches of La Bendición Ramera, San Pablo Paeño, Los Cocos and Cañafístola.

* During his 237th weekly radio and TV show "Aló, Presidente" Chávez read a document whereby Jaime Pérez Branger undertook to assign 30,000 out of 53,000 hectares comprising La Paraima ranch. This plot of land is reportedly to be used to construct a town.

* Richard Vivas, president of the National Land Institute (INTI), said he received on October 24 a letter from the Supreme Tribunal of Justice (TSJ) requesting a report on the moves made to evict members of Brisas del Masparro cooperative from Santa Rita ranch, as ordered under a ruling issued by the Constitutional Court, TSJ, on November 4, 2003.

* Vivas said his office is likely to send such a report to TSJ this week.

* Last October 7, the Constitutional Court demanded Vivas and the commander of the National Armed Force in Barinas state to send "a report on the moves made, in compliance with a ruling issued on November 4, 2003, to ensure compliance with the decision."

* In the event that INTI fails to comply with TSJ sentence, it may face a fine for up to USD 41,000.

* Vivas asserted they are to comply with TSJ ruling, but claimed that peasants of Brisas del Masparro cooperative are performing productive activities in Santa Rita ranch, and they have to be protected.

* "They are productive people. They are conducting agricultural and cattle-raising activities, and INTI respects and protects that. We are to enforce the eviction order, but we are looking for a legal mechanism to protect them, either through agrarian permits, a permit to remain in the site, or an order to protect production," Vivas said.

* On February 2003, Rogelio Peña, owner of Santa Rita ranch, claimed that Agriculture and Land Minister Antonio Albarrán encouraged members of Brisas del Masparro cooperative to seize the estate. In November 2003, TSJ ordered their eviction.

* The town hall of Simón Rodríguez municipality, eastern Monagas state, is to revise existing projects on the plots of land under its jurisdiction, sources said on October 26.

* As a result, a meeting will be held with the participation of estate owners, councilor José Brito, the head of urban layout and planning, the municipal trustee, the cadastre head and a legal advisory team.

* As stated by Wilmer Rodríguez, the municipal trustee in the city of El Tigre, most plots of land are occupied by tenants. The town hall is to investigate and make a technical check of wastelands to assess recovery feasibility for subsequent allocation.
 
* Rodríguez thinks that the plots of land cannot remain idle and abandoned, and need to be recovered.

* Recently, a group of Monagas ranchers organized an association to hear the claims of people affected by squatting. They collected five claims of violation to private property, resulting in more than USD 1 billion in losses.

* By means of the Cha-Az method, local producers would be offering 30,000 hectares of agricultural lands, Joan Parra, the representative of the regional office, National Lands Institute (INTI), eastern Anzoátegui state, told La Prensa local newspaper on October 26.

* The method named after President Hugo Chávez and Carlos Azpúrua, the owner of La Marqueseña ranch, is part of an agreement reached for allocation of lands.

* Parra estimates that the plot of lands could benefit directly 500 people.

* The Cha-Az method will help recover most of wastelands in the state, as ranchers are eager to participate.

* In his opinion, the modality has borne fruit with the voluntary delivery of 180 hectares.

* Additionally, Parra briefed on an agricultural management program to train those people who will work on the wasteland to be recovered by INTI.

* Groups of peasants in central-western Portuguesa state announced plans to occur to the headquarters of the National Lands Institute (INTI) and the National Assembly (AN) to protest against the failure of the Regional Agricultural Committee to solve the conflicts of land tenure.

* As stated by Homar Garcés, the executive secretary of Ezequiel Zamora Committee, many cases of land ownership remain unsolved after more than five years.

* He mentioned that although the local INTI is attributed much responsibility, the parties to the committee are also responsible. As a result, he requested from the Portuguesa government to eradicate truly large estate for being a problem leading to disappointment and frustration among peasants.

* Even though he did not attend a second meeting between the business sector and the government, the head of the Venezuelan Ranchers' Federation (Fedenaga), Genaro Méndez, did manage on October 25 to send a letter to President Hugo Chávez reporting that "some government officials have acted arbitrarily amid the so-called war against large estates."

* While the head of the Federation of Trade and Industry Chambers José Luis Betancourt, among other business leaders, was about to meet with Chávez and some of his cabinet's members, Fedenaga PPRR Manager Manuel Alvarado arrived in the presidential palace of Miraflores, where the meeting was taking place, and delivered a letter from Méndez to Chávez.

* Before the meeting with Chávez, Fedecámaras prepared the issues it would address with the Venezuelan ruler. Sources said that Méndez suggested he would talk about the serious problem facing ranches nationwide in connection with landownership and confiscations. Other business leaders, however, proposed addressing this issue in a general document.

* Méndez explained on October 26 that he did not attend the meeting because ranchers wanted to have a right to speak and hand over Chávez personally a document exposing the situation facing this sector.

* In his letter to Chávez, Méndez asked the Venezuelan ruler to "order eviction of ranches in which connection the Supreme Tribunal of Justice (TSJ) has found for ranchers," among other petitions.

* Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez assured Spanish head of government José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero that seizure of property would not overstep Spanish interests, Foreign Minister Miguel Ángel Moratinos told the Senate on October 27.

* "President Chávez and his Foreign Minister (Alí Rodríguez) denied any takeover, but a secured agrarian reform. Therefore, Spanish interests would not be adversely affected," Moratinos explained to the Committee of Spanish-American Affairs, as quoted by AFP.

* The Venezuelan ruler made such remarks during a meeting with Zapatero in Salamanca two weeks ago, on the occasion of the Fifteenth Spanish-American Summit attended by 19 heads of state and government.

* Spain "insisted on the concern if that situation failed to produce the results expected by the Venezuelan government."

* Over the last few weeks, the Venezuelan government had engaged the army in seizure of a number of large estates and idle or underused manufactures.

* Domingo Arteaga, solicitor of central Yaracuy state, said the regional government has prepared a decree on protection of agrarian plots of land owned by the nation, Yaracuy al día daily reported on October 27.

* According to Arteaga, the instrument was drafted at his office and presented to governor Carlos Giménez for assessment and approval. In the event that the decree is enacted, Yaracuy state is to "undertake defense in any legal action concerning ranches" whose production activities are under investigation by authorities. If such estates are found idle or non-productive, they are going to be "recovered," as provided for under the Law Land.

* Meanwhile, ranchers have reported that some plots of lands have been seized based on political interests.

* Authorities have rebutted such claims, and argued that all confiscations have been performed under the Land Law.