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[Adventurer]

Chavez lays out collective property plan By CHRISTOPHER TOOTHAKER, Associated Press Writer
Sun Mar 25, 10:50 PM ET



CARACAS, Venezuela - President Hugo Chavez said Sunday that his administration plans to create "collective property" as part of sweeping reforms toward socialism, and that officials would move to seize control of large ranches and redistribute lands deemed "idle."

The Venezuelan leader, speaking on his television and radio program "Hello President," said the government was "advancing quickly" with a concept of "social, or collective, property" to be included in forthcoming constitutional reforms.

"It's property that belongs to everyone and it's going to benefit everyone," said Chavez, who vowed to undermine capitalism's continued influence in Venezuela.

Critics say reform has failed to revive Venezuela's agriculture industry, which does not produce enough food to satisfy domestic demand. The government has been forced to import food amid shortages of staples such as meats, milk and sugar.

"If Mr. Chavez really wants to help Venezuela's poor farmers, he must offer them technical assistance and sufficient financing because land doesn't become productive without investment," said opposition leader Alfonzo Marquina. "We're only seeing increasing shortages and more expensive products."

Opponents accuse Chavez, a close ally of Cuban leader Fidel Castro, of steering oil-rich Venezuela toward Cuba-style communism, becoming increasingly authoritarian and dangerously dividing the country along class lines.

Supporters say Venezuela's democracy is as healthy as ever under left-leaning Chavez and applaud president's initiatives to improve living conditions for the poor.

[The critics are right. You can't simply give land to peasants without giving them equipment, having planners out there or there will only be a crisis. Land redistribution is a noble goal, but without knowing how to run their farms, it is pointless, and will not address the shortages see Robert Mugabe and Nasser for bad examples of this.]

[jinju]

Idiotic. Another power hungry idiot a la Mugabe who will give land to people who dont have a clue of how to manage it properly. Oh look big bird, Venezuala is going down the road of Zimbabwe. From prosperity to depths of economic hell. But hey, this is yet another example of socialism never working in any country.