Poor Utilization of the Land Behind Food Shortages in Venezuela

[joshcryer]

6. The most stunning part is the equlivence to Zimbabwe land expropriations.

Basically in Zimbabwe the white people who ran the farms were kicked out and the land was given to black Zimbabwans. The lands were then razed for their equipment, copper, steel, whatever, and left to fester. Many people who got the lands were politically connected. There's a somewhat biased documentary on this called "Mugabe and the White African." (Mainly because it paints the white farmers in too good a light and glosses over their over racism.)

Now, in Venezuela the land is being said to be underutilized after the redistribution. Could it be that it was simply done wrong? If you're going to give land to farmers you must give them incentives. And if they don't use the land in a certain period of time they lose it. This is how Cuba does it. Which is why they are 85% agriculturally self sufficient. (One of the few things outside of health care and education Cuba has done right.)

It's clear that the land redistribution in Venezuela has been a failure. But I don't blame the farmers because I have no evidence cronyism was involved. I blame the government for not supporting the farmers. Venezuela is not Zimbabwe.