He said that INTI’s strategic objective “is to create a new citizenry(...) now that the forever excluded peasants are becoming citizens with full rights, now that they are, for instance, part of cooperatives -with legal responsibility- and are becoming part of social-productive projects that are at the same time part of greater and continuously growing social networks.”

Ridell indicated that “hand in hand with the peasants and the small and medium producers, and putting into practice the principles of the Law of Land Property and Agricultural Development, the INTI granted at the first stage of the Zamora Plan (an integral program designed to provide to the peasants the instruction and the means to achieve their participation in productive agricultural activities.), a total of 2,262,467,113 hectares for production, through 68,835 certificates, thus benefiting 116,899 country families. The amount of the financing for starting off the activity of 35 Zamoran productive units, was over 73 billion bolívares (Bs.)”

Ridell said that at the first stage, they planned to grant 445,290 hectares. “Nevertheless, we will first grant 7,218 certificates, equivalent to 333,599 hectares that will benefit 8,706 families and more than 100 cooperatives”. At the second stage, some 600,000 hectares will be granted in order to achieve the goal of a million hectares per year. “This means that we would be incorporating 100,000 people into Venezuela’s agricultural production”, he added.

The massive handing over of land is carried out in accordance to the parameters established in the Law of Land Property and Agricultural Development. “We will go on with the land granting plans as long as they abide by the Law. That is why we are training our officials to apply the procedures in order to avoid generating false expectations. If all of us, public institutions, mayors, governors and communities work together, we will advance towards the goal of improving the population’s living standards” emphasized Riddel.

For Ridell, the INTI is aware that it’s function is to administer and reallocate the land. It should however support the peasants further in order to help them improve their living standards. It’s not just granting lands. The INTI administers lands belonging to the state with the purpose of achieving their top production and maximum development, provided that the environment, biodiversity, natural resources, and even the landscapes are always respected.

The official said that their aim is that all of the INTI lands handed over to peasants and small producers play a social role, participating in the nation’s Agricultural and Food Supply Security Plan. “It’s not just simply handing land over. It’s also providing financial support, training, infrastructure...and the commitment of this beneficiary to supply his fellow Venezuelans with quality food”, he added.

Ridell pointed out that in order to consolidate the agrarian revolution, and the materialization of the Land Property Law, the essential ingredient is the coordination among the different state institutions that are linked to the country’s agrarian development, to achieve the well being of the peasants and their families. “The Mission of all Missions , Vuelvan Caras (whose purpose is training the unemployed in order to achieve their insertion in productive economic activities)is evidence of this. In this Mission, all institutions involved in the sector, are working to incorporate 600,000 peasants nationwide, -traditionally excluded- into agriculture and livestock raising. The objective is to articulate joint policies in order to advance towards the consolidation of our revolutionary process”, he concluded.

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