MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Bolivia confiscates 115.000 hectares of land to distribute among peasants
The land belongs to one of the leaders of the conservative opposition Bolivia confiscated 115.000 hectares of allegedly fallow or ill-gotten land as part of President Evo Morales' drive to redistribute land to the poor, reported the National Agrarian Reform Institute (INRA).
The seizure includes thousands of hectares from the ranching company of prominent opposition figure Osvaldo Monasterio, land reform agency chief Juan Carlos Rojas told reporters. Four other haciendas were targeted.
Rojas said the government determined the holdings in eastern Bolivia are underused or have fraudulent deeds, reasons cited in the past for denying compensation to owners of seized land.
Monasterio is the owner of the Unitel television network, which is aligned with the conservative opposition. He also has a bank and last December suffered the confiscation of another 3.000 hectares and in June, 13.100 hectares.
In 2009, the Bolivian government confiscated five haciendas covering 36.000 hectares in the Chaco region, including ranch lands belonging to US cattleman Ronald Larsen.
The government said ethnic Guarani workers there were found to be indentured servants, treated as virtual slaves. Mr Larsen vehemently denied mistreating the workers and their families, but a court recently upheld the seizure without compensation.
Mr Morales is pushing an agrarian reform project that aims to redistribute land from wealthy owners to the poor indigenous majority. Landowners targeted by the government allege the seizures are politically motivated.
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Read all commentsAppears that Evo is taking serious lessons from Chavez.
Aug 28th, 2010 - 04:42 pm 0Yeap!!! As i comented recently, “Moralito” is following the “Chavito” steps down....Poor Bolivian people....They are starting the race to the destruction of their country.....Please, read the Chilean recent history, please, before continuing with that crazy way.....it will take a lot of time and sacrifices to get back on the road to grow up....
Aug 30th, 2010 - 04:11 pm 0BTW, have anybody read about the forest fires that are burning over 1,5 Ha. in Bolivia due the ethnic comunities had starting them just for clear the forest to have seeding lands ???? And, anybody have heard the ecologist organizations (knowns as NGO´s) complaining about ????
As I said in other post, the next will be Ecuador and the next Arg.....???
I hope not. But “Castrito” is waiting for their phonecalls to help them when they get the bottom to keep them on the bottom.
R.I.P. Bolivia
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