Venezuela's Chavez Defends Seizing Land From Food Company
By Ezequiel Minaya, Of DOW JONES
NEWSWIRES
CARACAS -(Dow Jones)- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez fired back Sunday at critics of the recent government's seizure of land from the country's top food processor and distributor, Empresas Polar.
Chavez ordered Saturday the takeover of the plot, a little more than two acres in a western district of Caracas, to build, he said, housing for families left homeless by recent floods and mudslides that have displaced more than 130,000 people throughout the country.
Polar officials condemned the move, saying that the land was slated for an expansion of a nearby children's nutritional center that the company funds for the benefit of the neighboring community.
"This center has offered a valuable support to the community for more than 15 years and the expansion plans require the land to continue the treatment of children and pregnant mothers of this and other needy communities," said a Polar spokesperson in a statement.
On his weekly television program Sunday, Chavez scoffed at the notion of Polar, which brews beer among its many products, running a nutritional center.
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He said it was worth wondering how many deaths Polar was "responsible" for because of the abuse of alcohol. "When you talk about beer you are talking about poison," Chavez said. "They have been poisoning society with alcohol."
Chavez and Polar have long had a tense relationship, with the president repeatedly threatening to take over the company. In May, Chavez said that if he moved to take over Polar, he would convert its breweries into ice cream factories.
Polar is one of the country's most popular companies and the leading producer of everything from beer to rice to mayonnaise. Polar also has a joint venture with PepsiCo Inc. (PEP) to bottle and help distribute Pepsi products throughout Venezuela.
Chavez has accused the company of creating sporadic shortages of basic groceries and sowing public unrest by hoarding products in hopes of undermining the government. Chavez has also said that Polar executives work with the political opposition to unseat his administration.
Polar's inexpensive beer and other products, however, are well-liked among Venezuelans, and Chavez's threats have in the past resulted in a modest backlash.
In 2010, Chavez nationalized more than 200 companies.
