Franklin Brito

Franklin José Brito Rodríguez (5 September 1960 – 30 August 2010) was a Venezuelan agricultural producer and biologist who gained national and international prominence over a land ownership dispute with his neighbours. He carried out a series of legal challenges and dramatic public protests from 2004, often coinciding with other protests such as the 2007 Venezuelan demonstrations. Brito's protests culminated in his death due to a hunger strike. Brito's death, which came in the highly charged pre-election atmosphere of the Venezuelan parliamentary election, 2010, led to widespread domestic and international media coverage.

Initial claims

In 1999 the Instituto Agrario Nacional gave Brito a tax-free title to a 717-acre (290 ha) property in La Tigrera, in Sucre, Bolivar State.[1][2]

In 2002 Brito submitted a project to the Corporación Venezolana de Guayana (CVG) to combat a disease that was affecting the yam plantations in Sucre Municipality, Bolívar State. However, his proposal entered in conflict with another one adopted by Sucre's Mayor, Juan Carlos Figarella, a member of the political party, Fifth Republic Movement. Brito also alerted the CVG about the supposed existence of a risk of the misappropriation of the funds in case that Figarella's proposal was accepted.[3] Finally, Sucre's Mayor project was rejected, but Brito lost his post in Sucre Mayoralty's Agricultural Institute shortly after.[3] He was also fired from his job as a secondary school teacher, and his wife from her job as a teacher at another public school. In both cases, the Britos denounced that their longevity and severance benefits were not paid.[3]

Since March 2003, Brito claimed that some land titles issued to neighbours overlapped with parts of his farm.[4] The government said that the neighbours had occupied the relevant lands before Brito's title had been assigned to him, and verified the property borders to ensure that there was no overlap between the land titles.[2][4][5]

According to Brito, his dispute began when a 59-acre (240,000 m2) part[6] of his 716-acre (2.90 km2) farm[7] (numbers vary)[8] in Bolívar State was taken over by neighbours and that he later found out that the neighbours had been authorised by the INTI.[6][9] INTI, a land reform agency of the Venezuelan government.[9][10] Brito said that the takeover was orchestrated due to a grudge by Juan Carlos Figarella, whom he believed corrupt.[9][10]

The government denied this and said that Brito's lands had never been expropriated.[11] The government said that Brito's title to 716 acres (2.90 km2) had been assured, and that there was no overlap of title with that of his neighbours.[12] INTI inspections assured this[1] in November 2003,[4] and in 2005,[4] as well as a local court in December 2006.[4] The Supreme Tribunal of Venezuela turned down Brito´s claim on formal grounds, in March 2007. However, it expressly ordered INTI to reestablish access to Brito´s land by rendering null and void those titles given by INTI to Brito´s neighbours.http://www.tsj.gov.ve/decisiones/scon/marzo/386-070307-06-1721.htm

After Brito lost part of his farm, he staged a range of public protests in order to raise public support for his cause, including a total of six hunger strikes.[6][10] His first hunger strike took place on 24 November 2004,[13] and another in 2005, and as a result he received compensation for damages.[1] In 2005, when a court decided against him, Brito amputated a finger for the television cameras.[12] In 2006 an appeal to a higher court was ruled inadmissible.[12] A second hunger strike followed,[1] in response to which the president of INTI attended to his case.[12] INTI said that a December 2006 inspection by it found that there was no overlap with neighbours' claims,[1] and new access roads and other improvements made to his property,[12] carried out and financed by INTI.[1] In 2007 the Supreme Tribunal of Justice turned down his case.[12] In 2008, in the face of another hunger strike, the president of INTI again intervened over Brito's attempt to invalidate his neighbours' ownership titles, donating agricultural supplies and a tractor, and deforesting 40 acres (160,000 m2) of Brito's land.[12] The government had a habit of reneging on its promises after he ended his hunger strikes.[10] At one point Brito turned down almost all of a government settlement of $230,000 on the grounds that he believed it could be seen as illegal and potentially lead to his incarceration for corruption.[10]

In July 2009 he began another protest in front of the Organisation of American States building in Venezuela, which lasted until December 2009,[14] when INTI revoked the disputed land titles for humanitarian reasons due to Brito's continuing hunger strikes.[1][14][15] Brito however rejected this as not firmly legal, and began another protest in front of the OAS building,[14] leading the OAS to offer mediation.[10] In January 2010 the Venezuelan Attorney General applied to a court to have Brito moved to a hospital.[16] The government claimed that the hospitalisation was for his own protection.[10][6][16] Brito had been held in the hospital "against his will, virtually incommunicado."[10]

Death

Brito died, age 49, in the hospital on the evening of 30 August, having intensified his hunger strike in mid-August. His family said that Brito had become a "symbol and standard bearer for all those who have been stepped on by power and government arrogance."[17] The government stated that opposition politicians and media were trying to exploit his protest for political gain, and accused the Venezuelan opposition of acting like "vultures" and desiring Brito's death for their own political ends;[6][18] his death came in the highly charged pre-election atmosphere of the Venezuelan parliamentary election, 2010, and led to widespread domestic and international media coverage. United States Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs Philip J. Crowley said that the United States was saddened by Brito's death.[19] Venezuelan Vice President Elías Jaua also expressed "regret", reiterating the government's position that Brito's land "had never been expropriated".[20] On the receipt of a private petition after his death, the Attorney General announced an investigation into whether Brito had been induced to commit suicide by continuing the hunger strike.[21]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 (in Spanish) INTI, 7 December 2009, INTI: veracidad de los hechos en relación al caso del ciudadano Franklin Brito
  2. 1 2 Venezuelan Government Expresses Position on Franklin Brito’s Death Archived 2010-09-11 at the Wayback Machine., Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, 2 September 2010
  3. 1 2 3 VenEconomy, 15 December 2009, Campaigning Venezuelan biologist Franklin Brito fears government retribution
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Vheadline.com, 2 September 2010, Venezuelan government defends its record in the Brito hunger-strike affair
  5. ↑ Pearson, Tamara; "Venezuelan Government Responds to 'Hypocritical' Hunger Strike", Venezuela Analysis, September 3, 2010
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Andrew Cawthorne, Reuters, 31 August 2010, Venezuela hunger striker's death angers Chavez foes
  7. ↑ Ian James, Associated Press, 31 August 2010, Venezuela hunger striker dies
  8. ↑ Some sources give other figures - The Economist (31 August) gives his farm size as 250 acres, and implies that all of it was lost; Venezuelanalysis.com, 31 August 2010, CNE: Venezuelan Opposition Occupies 75.4% of TV Election Ads refers to a dispute over land on the outskirts of Brito's 1235 acre farm.
  9. 1 2 3 Silvia Viñas, Venezuela: Franklin Brito Dies After Several Hunger Strikes, Aug 31st 2010, Global Voices
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 P.G., Life, liberty and property, Aug 31st 2010, The Economist
  11. ↑ Patrick J. O'Donoghue, Agriculture Minister concerned about health of frequent hunger striker, August 24, 2010, VHeadline.com
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Agencia Venezolana de Noticias, 1 September 2010, Three lies repeated by the media on Franklin Brito's case Archived 2011-07-16 at the Wayback Machine.
  13. ↑ (in Spanish) Tal Cual, 2 June 2009, Franklin Brito Archived 2010-06-04 at the Wayback Machine.
  14. 1 2 3 (in Spanish) Tal Cual, 30 August 2010, La pasión de Brito Archived 2010-09-04 at the Wayback Machine.
  15. ↑ Although according to one report the government claims INTI did this in August 2009. Vheadline.com, 2 September 2010, Venezuelan government defends its record in the Brito hunger-strike affair
  16. 1 2 Venezuelanalysis.com, 3 September 2010, Venezuelan Government Responds to "Hypocritical" Hunger Strike
  17. ↑ Vheadline.com, 31 August 2010, After eight hunger strikes, Franklin Brito has passed away in Caracas Archived 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine.
  18. ↑ Andrew Cawthorne, Reuters, 2 September 2010, Venezuela says opposition sought protester's death
  19. ↑ El Universal, 1 September 2010, US "saddened" by death of Venezuelan farmer Franklin Brito Archived 2010-09-09 at the Wayback Machine.
  20. ↑ El Universal, 2 September 2010, Venezuelan authorities deny seizure of lands of late farmer Archived 2012-07-07 at Archive.is
  21. ↑ El Universal, 2 September 2010, Relatives of Venezuelan farmer to be investigated for alleged inducement to suicide Archived 2010-09-04 at the Wayback Machine.
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