The Marxist government of Venezuela expropriated its first cattle ranch this morning, a productive 32,000—hectare estate owned by a British company. This is to be the first in a series of seizures to end in collectivization. The move echoes the seizures of lush farms of Zimbabwe by the Mugabe government, where it's now barren and people are starving.  

 

The Financial Times of the U.K. has picked up on the story, using the same Zimbabwe comparison we used before, because the ranch in question is owned by a British aristocrat, who is a close friend of Prince Charles, and a tycoon in the meat industry. Lord Vestey, charmingly, is known to his friends by the nickname "Spam." No dount, for the Castroite supporters of Chavez at home and overseas, there is propaganda valuein taking on a British lord. But he will hardly be the only victim.

 

The drive to expropriate is now alarmingly spreading to Venezuela's urban tracts, and will end in full state control of all means of production. Alek Boyd, editor of VCrisis, has the first English—language report, and a photo.  

 

Daniel, of Venezuela News and Views, has a fairly comprehensive essay on Venezuelan land expropriations. Once again, the blogosphere leads the way on a major story, while the MSM takes a nap.

 

A.M. Mora y Leon  01 08 05