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INTI president urges debate on State and
private property rights over natural reserves
(Note: Hmm ... could this apply to lands owned and exploited by the
Nature Conservancy and other global NGOs? Let's HOPE so!)
January 24, 2005
By Patrick J. O'Donoghue patrick@vheadline.com
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Venezuelan National Institute of Lands (INTI) president, Eliezer
Otaiza says ecological reserves will be studied and there
is no guarantee that such reserves will be allowed to continue as
private ventures.
In an interview in El Universal, Otaiza confirms that the idea
of farm interventions is to draw up a national register and
decisions will be made, depending on the type of information
collected.
"If we come across idle lands, we will start a process
... if lands are public, they will be recovered and if private, we
will calculate the amount of the fine to be paid -- and could
even expropriate by paying compensation."
Returning to the topic of natural reserves, Otaiza says they must be
conserved, but there are elements that must be reviewed as regards
titles ... "we have seen natural reserves being used for
commercial ends and even scientific ends, from which the country
hasn't perceived any benefits ... we are assessing this ... we are
aware of the presence of scientists that have not left any elements
that could contribute something to Venezuela ... they take all the
knowledge with them, which is used later on to exploit our
resources."
However, Otaiza adds that the Environment & Natural Resources (MARNR)
Ministry is in charge of producing formulas to administer such
reserves.
Otaiza states that many natural reserve private property
owners have received credits and damaged the land cutting down trees
and selling timber for profit ... "we believe that there
are elements of public origin that must be considered in such cases
and there must be a debate on the matter."
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