Hugo Chavez: Los Roques Houses Will Be Seized

CARACAS, Venezuela — Most residents of Venezuela's Los Roques archipelago don't seem concerned by President Hugo Chavez's announcement that his government will expropriate homes on the Caribbean islands.

They say the measure will affect only a few property owners.

Some residents on the archipelago's neighborhood-based assembly say they had expected Thursday's announcement and don't fear their homes or inns will be targeted for state takeover.

Chavez says some homes on Los Roques were built on plots bought in shadowy business deals and will be seized by the state.

Comments

[Charles Queen]

06:26 PM on 10/08/2011

He wants to be a little "mini me'Castro

[amConcerned]

04:44 PM on 10/08/2011

In Venezuela there are restrictions on private ownership of land in National Parks. It’s not illegal to own (a slightly different form than outright ownership) and build on the land if the proper permits are obtained. In the 1970’s the permits were obtained and in some cases the land was purchased outright prior to it being declared a National Park. Were Chavez comes up with illegal is in his questioning of prior governments authority to grant such permits.

Maybe the question we should be asking is why now, after 12 years in power, is Chavez going after this private property. Regardless of the answer to that it is very much these owners that acted in good faith that are bearing the brunt of the injustice here.

[3daywkend]

01:02 PM on 10/08/2011

Now that's he's almost on his deathbed, he's going to go Stalin like never before. I called it weeks ago.

[whitemale08]

12:39 PM on 10/08/2011

Before anyone says: "...Chavez is a communist dictator", remember the US takes over property for a variety of reasons, besides shady land deals, that do happen all of the time in Venezuela.

- US takes property for so-called "eminent domain"

- US takes property from Cubans in Florida


- US takes property and bank accounts from Iranians

- US takes property and bank accounts from Iraqis


And as someone who lives in Venezuela, there were many swindles that took place where government grants to house the poor were looted to build ritzy development projects on pristine Carribbean coastlines.

Both the buyer and seller often loses and a corrupt judge takes a bribe to let the swindler off.

[carefulwhistle]

09:40 AM on 10/08/2011

maybe its true, and these property's were part of shady deals, Americans don't like it when a popular foreign leader aint sucking up to there presidents

[hidenout3]

09:56 AM on 10/08/2011

And maybe it's not true. Chavez doesn't have a very democratic record on most issues (democratic = fair)

[IfIonlyknew]

10:47 AM on 10/08/2011

Fairness has nothing to do with being a Democratic nation......Look in your own back yard.Look at what is happening right here in America.

[Tanrioldu]

12:35 PM on 10/08/2011

Democratic = Fair? HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAAHAH

[cwaged1002]

03:55 PM on 10/08/2011

Get an education.

[kkdkdkdkdk]

06:08 AM on 10/08/2011

What else would a Communist do?

[Tanrioldu]

12:38 PM on 10/08/2011

He's a socialist, not a communist.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communist_Party_of_Venezuela

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Socialist_Party_of_Venezuela

[Cyrus Trance]

02:51 AM on 10/09/2011

Actually he is a Bolivarian.

[makito93]

03:53 AM on 10/08/2011

Is that what my people's "leader" looks like. He looks like an even more obese Jonah Hil

[the griff]

12:24 AM on 10/08/2011

Maybe he shoud come to America illegally.

[Lord Ligonier]

11:30 PM on 10/07/2011

I hope he dies a long, torturous, lingering, painful, death...same to the rest of his fellow travelers.

sic semper tyrannis

It's long past time for honesty...I hate the left as much as they hate me.

Let the bullets fly !

[ihsxps]

01:15 AM on 10/08/2011

It's not too late to turn away from the darkness. The world is full of love, and loving people of every political and religious persuasion are filled with love for you. Do not long for hatred, destruction and death. Choose instead love, faith and life.

I wish you only peace, happiness and joy. I will pray for you, and I ask everyone who reads this to pray for you also.

[kkdkdkdkdk]

06:09 AM on 10/08/2011

Good post.

[nomadrdw]

12:36 PM on 10/08/2011

wow.
really, up the meds....yesterday.

[hiker326]

11:04 PM on 10/07/2011

I guess they don't understand about conflict of interests in Venezuela. Is this guy going to croak already? Don't call me cold-hearted. I know I am. Still, the world would be a better place without this guy.

[django707]

06:45 PM on 10/22/2011

And the world would be a better place without idiots like you. Go figure.

[TBrennan]

10:35 PM on 10/07/2011

Just about a sure thing that he will screw up a great and pristine environment.

[django707]

06:46 PM on 10/22/2011

Yeah, he needs some American corporations to come in and teach him how to nurture the environment.

[hogman]

08:34 PM on 10/07/2011

I wonder what Sean Penn, Danny Glover, Ed Asner, Harry Belafonte, Naomi Campbell, and Oliver Stone among others who've fawned over Chavez have to say about this.
As Lenin once said, 'They're useful idiots.'

[kkdkdkdkdk]

06:09 AM on 10/08/2011

Indeed they are.

[ArjenBoatsma]

07:33 PM on 10/07/2011

So uncivilized, that Chavez. In the US we give land (and tax dollars!), that belong to We the People, away to the corporations! Especially those with a strong lobby in DC.

[django707]

06:47 PM on 10/22/2011

That's right! How dare this commie rat use a country's resources for his own people!
We'll take care of that.

[aynrandfan2012]

05:27 PM on 10/07/2011

Liberals and the Black caucus should be proud........they love this guy

[jaspdohertylaw]

08:43 PM on 10/07/2011

aynrand is so passe- and discredited

[Zutroy]

09:53 PM on 10/07/2011

Ah, quaint old libertarian racism. Mind telling us how the Congressional Black Caucus is even remotely related to this story???

[Tanrioldu]

12:42 PM on 10/08/2011

Said Libertarian racist hates both Blacks & Chavez... that's really the ONLY connection

[Cyrus Trance]

04:57 PM on 10/07/2011

Fascism at its best.

[Tanrioldu]

12:43 PM on 10/08/2011

wrong end of the political spectrum

[Cyrus Trance]

02:06 PM on 10/08/2011

Chavez has become a dictator himself who wants to be president for life. He is using exactly the same methods as the Nazis in the 1930s: intimidating opponents, Nationalizing industry and private property, politicizing the army and creating a single-party state. Like Hitler, Chavez, too, talks about a "revolution" which he wants to export to the rest of the world.

A firm anti-imperialist and vocal critic of neoliberalism and capitalism more Chávez has allying himself with the socialist governments of Raúl Castro in Cuba, Evo Morales in Bolivia, Rafael Correa in Ecuador and Daniel Ortega in Nicaragua.

He claims to be politically Bolivarian but that is not completely the case.

[django707]

06:48 PM on 10/22/2011

google fascism.