Former Venezuelan diplomat challenges seizure of family’s farm by Chavez government

Ex-diplomat challenges farm seizure in Venezuela

CARACAS, Venezuela — A former Venezuelan ambassador to the United Nations challenged the government’s takeover of his family farm, saying Wednesday the move shows freedoms are being severely eroded under socialist President Hugo Chavez.

Diego Arria presented documents to authorities that he said prove he owns the 914-acre (370-hectare) farm, which was seized less than two weeks ago by officials who accuse him of not holding proper title.

“I’m not fighting for the farm. I’m fighting for my workers and for freedom in Venezuela,” Arria said at a news conference, flanked by about two dozen farm employees who have refused to work for the government.

Arria also denied accusations by a pro-Chavez lawmaker, Carlos Escarra, who has urged prosecutors to investigate recent remarks by the former diplomat that Escarra contends incite attempts to topple Chavez.

“There’s no way they’re going to shut me up,” Arria said.

Arria, who was governor of Caracas in the 1970s and ambassador to the U.N. in 1991-93, reiterated accusations that Chavez should be tried for attempts to kill then President Carlos Andres Perez and his family during a failed 1992 coup attempt led by the current president.

“Who’s the coup plotter? The only coup plotter is him,” Arria said.

There was no immediate reaction from Chavez, who last week called Arria corrupt and said that to recover his farm he would “have to topple Chavez.”

Employees of La Carolina farm who accompanied Arria said 32 of the 38 workers there walked out in protest after the government’s takeover. The farm in northwestern Yaracuy state produces milk, coffee, oranges and other crops.

“They’re stealing from us,” said Eduard Adalfio, 28, who is in charge of the farm’s cows. “We don’t want to work with this government.”