A criminal court in Barinas state has ordered the detention of 28 adult farmers after they, along with a 3-year-old girl, were kidnapped on Saturday, June 14, by an armed group serving a landowner. The incident occurred amidst a dispute over the allocation of idle lands at the La Rubiera site, historically claimed by the Bolívar and Zamora 2021 Peasant Council.
After being held for several hours, they were handed over to the National Bolivarian Guard (GNB) and presented to a criminal control court.
Key points of the operation:
1. Kidnapping by armed group:
– Between 10 and 11 men wearing combat uniforms and carrying long weapons detained the farmers at an agrarian rescue camp.
– Analysis by La Tabla/Data Journalism Platform indicates “striking similarities with Colombian paramilitary practices”.
– The detainees were transported in vehicles owned by the landowner to his estate, where they spent hours without legal assistance.
2. Questionable judicial process:
– The adult farmers were handed over to the GNB and charged with invasion, cattle theft, and incitement to hate.
– Despite being an ordinary criminal court (not military), the hearing was held at a military facility, raising concerns about impartiality.
– The girl, Kerlys Arias (3 years old), was held during the operation but faces no formal charges.
Territorial context:
The farmers have been demanding the titling of unproductive lands in La Rubiera since 2021, supported by the Land Law. Among those detained are leaders like Jesús Escalante, Reina Rodríguez, and teenager Alirio Vásquez (17 years old).
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Primary source: Analysis from LaTabla (Data Journalism Platform).
Partial list of detained adults:
1. Jesús Escalante
2. Reina Rodríguez
3. Melquis Sánchez
… (continuing numbering up to 28)
25. Wilson Brizuela
26. Alirio Vásquez (17 years old, charged as an adult)
(Kerlys Arias, 3 years: held but not processed)
Contextual note: In Venezuela, the Land Law (Art. 115) allows for the seizure of idle large estates, but 328 agrarian leaders have been criminalized from 2020-2025 (record from the National Peasant Front).