The recent and alarming events in Pedraza, Barinas state, are not isolated incidents. When analyzed collectively, they reveal a distinct pattern of paramilitary action aimed at intimidating and displacing farmers seeking access to idle lands owned by the Nation.
The sequence of events, from the initial intrusion to the final handover to authorities, strongly supports the interpretations pointing to the involvement of an illegal armed group serving private interests.
Orchestrated violence confirms the facts
The first key to unraveling the nature of these events lies in the modus operandi of the captors.
A witness’s testimony is explicit: “There were 11 or 10 hooded individuals, all dressed in black. They arrived at 2 a.m.” The combat attire, the hoods hiding their faces, and the possession of “war weapons” do not characterize a legitimate security force acting under due process. Instead, these are hallmarks of irregular armed groups operating outside the law, ensuring impunity through anonymity.
Beyond appearances, the action itself confirms the criminal nature. The shot fired at the feet of a farmer attempting to flee, along with the use of force to handcuff and detain the laborers, demonstrates violent apprehension, not a legal arrest. Torture or excessive force used to immobilize detainees constitutes crimes that exceed any police or military procedure sanctioned by law.
Operated with the landowner’s resources
The relationship between the aggressors and landowner Elpidio García is a fundamental pillar in confirming the paramilitary nature of the event. It has been established that the armed group acted on García’s explicit orders, transforming the “land rescue action” into a forced eviction driven by private interests.
Evidence of the use of resources and vehicles belonging to Hato La Rubiera for the movement and transport of the kidnapped farmers reinforces this connection. The trucks and “the fox from the estate” are not standard equipment of any public force. Their use shows that the operation’s logistics came directly from the landowner’s infrastructure. Moreover, the fact that the farmers were initially taken to the facilities of La Rubiera before being handed over to the Bolivarian National Guard is irrefutable proof that the action was orchestrated and executed from a private realm, with a clear intent to exert control over the territory and its occupants.
Why did they take so long to deliver the kidnapped individuals to the GNB?
Perhaps the most revealing element validating interpretations of paramilitary action is the delay in handing the farmers over to authorities. If the apprehension had been legal, the delivery to the Bolivarian National Guard (GNB) would have been immediate and at the scene. However, the farmers were held on the estate for hours before their “formal delivery.”
This sequence suggests an attempt to retroactively legitimize a criminal act. Upon being handed over to the GNB, the farmers transitioned from being victims of a kidnapping to presumed invaders under legal custody, diverting attention from the initial violence. The intention appears to be utilizing the public force as a final link to “legalize” an illegal action, converting a kidnapping into an arrest for a criminal offense. This dynamic alarmingly mirrors patterns observed in regions where paramilitary groups operate, which act with impunity and later “whitewash” their actions through co-optation or collusion with state actors.
Context of an agrarian conflict
Finally, these events cannot be understood without the context of a land dispute that has been ongoing since at least 2022. The Bolívar and Zamora Peasant Council has been legally fighting for the right to utilize these idle lands, owned by the nation.
The violence of June 14, 2025, represents a drastic escalation in this conflict, suggesting that the legal route was not yielding the desired results for the current holders, leading to the use of brute force.
In summary, the combination of military uniforms and weapons, actions on behalf of a landowner, the use of private resources from the estate, the prior detention before delivery to authorities, and the context of a prolonged territorial conflict constitute an unequivocal pattern of paramilitary action. The events at Hato La Rubiera are not a simple incident but a troubling manifestation of illegal violence in rural Venezuela, demanding thorough investigation and a robust response to ensure justice and protect the rights of farmers.