Hugo Chavez: Land Reform in Venezuela

By Jacqui, Mohamed, Alexis, and Akich

A Little Bit of History...

•  In 1960 nearly 2/3 of the population lived in the country side.  

• 1970-Oil BOOM• Inequality and crime in

the cities. • Smallest agricultural

sector in Latin America• 1998-Hugo Chavez

elected President of Venezuela 

Taking office in 1999

• Chavz took office in February 1999• New Bolivarian Republic Constitution

o  5 Brancheso CNEo Increased term to 6 years

Making reforms in 2001

• Ley de Tierras• "Vuelta a campo"

December 10, 2001: Labor Strike

 

Implementation of  Programs in 2002

1.The Instituto Nacional de Tierras        ("National Land Institute")2. The Instituto Nacional de Desarrollo Rural ("National Rural Development Institute")3. The Corporación de Abastecimiento y Servicios Agrícolas ("Agricultural Corporation of Supplies and Services")

Mission Zamora 

In order to speed up the process of agrarian reform, on February 4, 2003 Hugo Chávez signed a presidential decree formally launching mission Zamora as part of the National Land Institute.Mission Zamora was a quick way for government to distribute land.Much of the land distributed under Mission Zamora was empty or already owned by the government

Urban Land Committees

• The Urban Land Committees (CTU - Comités de Tierras Urbanas) were called into life with presidential decree 1,666 on February 4, 2002. 

• Barrio inhabitants, who generally build their own homes on occupied land, have built more homes than all government have built in Venezuela's post-1958 era.

Mission Zamora 

 • the size of idle land

that owners may keep • Decisions left up the

National Land Institute (INTI)

 • Estates to be taxed as

long as they are idle 

The Reform in 2005

The Redistribution in 2005

 •  Application for land

ownership • Land cannot be passed

down or sold  • Negative effects on

citizens • The National Assembly

passes Article 90

Private Land Ownership• Change of land

ownership due to improper documentation

 • Dating back to the mid-

19th century • Main task is having an

accurate register of land titles

Private Land Ownership

• Eliecer Otaiza put in charge to redistribute 2 million Hectares

 • 1.5 of the 2 million

Hectares were privately owned land! 

 • Start of the National

Agricultural Commission

Wilpert, Gregory. "Venezuela’s Land Reform." LRAN. Web. 22 Mar. 2011. <http://www.landaction.org/display.php?article=334>.

Land Law Reforms

• Increases to state power.

• New requirements for land ownership.

• Communal Councils now eligible for land ownership.

• New definitions of a Latifundio.

New Offensive

• Quadruple irrigation systems.

• Expand production of crops.

• Improvements to infrastructure.

• Financed by China.

Nationalization of Firms

• Nationalization of firms common practice by Chavez.

• Venoco

• Fertinitro

• Fedecamaras will file a case with Supreme Court.

Mission Agro-Venezuela

• Law of Attention for the Agricultural Sector

• Mission Agro-Venezuela

• Joint venture with Heilongjiang Beidahuang Nongken Group Company.

Questions

• Do you think Chavez was successful in the development and implementation of Ley de Tierras?  Why or why not?

• Will the negative impact of the black market outweigh the positive results of selling land titles?

• Do you believe plans to improve the infrastructure will be enough to produce a food surplus in Venezuela?