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Morales firm on land distribution

LA PAZ (Bolivia): Leftist President Evo Morales has launched a sweeping land reform plan on by handing over roughly 24,800 sqkm of state-owned land to poor native Indians.

Mr. Morales on Saturday marked the start of his ``agrarian revolution,'' just weeks after his administration nationalised Bolivia's natural gas industry, giving foreign-owned energy companies six months to negotiate new contracts or leave.

``We want to change Bolivia together,'' Mr. Morales told the thousands of people gathered in the eastern city of Santa Cruz to receive land titles. ``Getting back the land means we're getting back all the natural resources, we're nationalising all the natural resources.''

Onlookers chanted ``Evo'' and waved both Bolivian and rainbow whipala flags that represent 500 years of Indian struggle. Saturday's ceremony came after talks broke down between Mr. Morales and agribusiness leaders on his agrarian reform, which involves the distribution of 200,000 sqkm of public land — an area roughly twice the size of Portugal — during the next five years.

The Government is studying the redistribution of unproductive private land, while one farmers' organisation has said it would form ``self-defence'' groups to prevent such seizures.

The redistribution plans are heightening long-standing tension between the prosperous residents of Bolivia's agricultural lowlands and the poorer, mostly native Indian people of the western high plains. Much of the terrain targeted for reform is uncultivated land located in the fertile eastern lowlands.

The Government says it will eventually seize and redistribute privately owned land that is unproductive, was obtained illegally or is being used for speculation.

The land dispute underscored the growing tensions between Mr. Morales and Bolivia's business leaders. — AP

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