A violent incident rocked the early morning of Saturday, June 14, 2025, on unproductive lands owned by the nation, adjacent to Hato La Rubiera (Pedraza). Armed men, masked and dressed in black, kidnapped farmers from the Bolívar and Zamora 2021 council. The attackers, connected to landowner Elpidio García, turned over the victims to the Bolivarian National Guard (GNB) later that morning for processing on invasion charges.
On Thursday, June 12, 2025, farmers from the Bolívar and Zamora 2021 council occupied a tract of idle land owned by the nation, bordering the Hato La Rubiera. Elpidio García, a landowner in the area, possesses an adjacent lot with state authorization, but he does not own the idle land claimed by the farmers.
In the early hours of Saturday, June 14 (between 00:00 and 02:00), a group of 10 to 11 armed and masked men violently burst in. According to direct testimony:
>»They arrived shooting; one of our companions tried to flee and got shot in the feet. They handcuffed us, including Pedro and César. Their leader is nicknamed ‘the Tiger.’ They loaded us into ‘the fox’ (vehicle of the ranch) and then into two of García’s trucks.
After the kidnapping, the farmers were taken to the La Rubiera estate. In the morning hours of June 14, the attackers handed them over to GNB agents, who transported them to Barinas to be processed for invasion. A criminal court could order their detention.
Mass Kidnapping Report:
The farmers’ council reported the abduction of 28 adults and a 3-year-old girl during the operation, labeling it a “serious and unprecedented” event. A fugitive farmer confirmed that the perpetrators were “armed civilians in the service of landowners,” reinforcing the link to García.
The struggle for these lands has been ongoing since at least 2022. The council has petitioned government agencies for the allocation of the idle lot over four years, asserting their right to productive use under current law.
The council demands authorities investigate the kidnapping, ensure the safety and freedom of all the abducted, and resolve the land dispute, emphasizing that their fight is for the right to cultivate on the nation’s land.