Chavez’ attack on the La Marqueseña farm is not simply a
coincidence. Whenyou compare that farm to
many of the larger properties, it is a fairly active farm which does not reach the
10,000 hectares that the Government had targeted for expropriation and had all
of the certifications required as an active farm.
But you
see, Chavez is emotionally linked to the La Marqueseña farm through his great
grandfather Pedro Perez Delgado “Maisanta”. I was going to write about it today
and some of the details were published by Agustin
Blanco Muñoz in today’s El Universal and I will add others.
Maisanta
was a farm hand at La Marqueseña and became the second in command of guerilla
leader Jose de Jesus Gonzalez “El Agachado”, who was one of the followers of
Ezequiel Zamora, another Chavez idol. The other well known follower of El
Agachado was Joaquin Crespo, who helps open the way for Cipriano Castro’s
election as President. It is Castro who names Maisanta as Military and Civil
Chief of Chavez’ home town of Sabaneta
and gives him right to the farm where he used to work, La Marqueseña. Thus,
Chavez great grandfather was the supposed owner of that farm early in this century.
When
Cipriano Castro is overthrown by Gomez, Maisanta quickly changes sides and
becomes part of Gomez’ military. But in 1914 Maisanta joins a coup attempt
against Gomez and joins the guerrilla. Gomez expropriated La Marqueseña from
Maisanta at that time. Maisanta spent years in the guerrillas until he was
captured and died in jail. Supposedly he was one of those that died because
they were unwittingly fed ground glass daily in their food.
According
to Chavez long time girlfriend Herma Marksman, who was with Chavez until a year
and a half after the 1992 coup attempt, Chávez always talked about getting back
the La Marqueseña farm, “because those lands belonged to his great grandfather”.
Chavez also talked about “rescuing” the image of his grandfather who appears in
the history books as a cattle robber, bloody guerrilla leader who would change sides
whenever necessary. Marksman says that Chavez believed that Maisanta was a
fighter for the weak and not the mean and bloody character that historians says
he was.
Now, the
owners of La Marqueseña claim they purchased the farm from the Government after
that date and Chavez has suggested that his great grandfather owned the land. But
the truth is that since 1821, when all lands were expropriated by the
Venezuelan Government, there is no transfer of the land until the Azpurua family
bought it from the Government. Maisanta’s ownership was characteristic of the
time, Castro just “gave” it to him without any transfer of property.
Thus,
I
write this as Chavez is broadcasting his Sunday program from la
Marqueseña telling
people not to allow hate to be brought into their lives, when the only
one that
is full of hate and hang ups is the President himself, who clings to a
past for
this country and himself that will never return. Venezuela is no longer
the rural country of Maisanta or Chavez’ childhood and few of the
87% of its inhabitants who live in cities have no interest in
returning to the land.
The Devil's Excrement 
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