Urban Land Committees Explained

Urban Land Committees (CTUs) are Venezuelan local neighbourhood committees which, in conjunction with Venezuelan Communal Councils, develop land titling in urban areas. CTUs are organised and set up by local communities (around 100–200 families), in a contiguous area defined by the community. Under a February 2002 decree, the CTUs can apply to a government office for the local "barrio" residents to be given property title for state-owned land they have informally occupied on a long-term basis.

History

On 4 February 2002 government issued Presidential Decree 1666, providing a legal basis for CTUs to be formed. Eligibility was however restricted to cases of state-owned land with no competing private claims.^[1]

By October 2006 the government said that over 200,000 titles had been assigned, benefiting about one million inhabitants.^{[2] [3]}

In September 2006 a new law was passed,^[4] and amended in October 2009.^[5]

In May 2008 the third national convention of CTUs took place in Maracaibo, with international observers from Argentina and Uruguay and several other organizations.^{[6] [7]}

Notes and References

1. Ellner, S. (2005), "Revolutionary and Non-Revolutionary Paths of Radical Populism: Directions of the Chavista Movement in Venezuela", Science & Society, Vol. 69, No. 2, April 2005, 160–190. p174
2. Robert Collier, San Francisco Chronicle, 2 October 2006, "Venezuela's Oil Wealth Funds Gusher of Anti-Poverty Projects "
3. Correo del Caroni, 22 September 2009, Marcharán por la reforma de Ley de Tierras Urbanas
4. Ley Especial De Regularización Integral De La Tenencia De La Tierra De Los Asentamientos Urbanos Populares, 17 September 2006 http://web.laoriental.com/leyes/L092n/L092nT1Cap0.htm
5. El Universal, 21 October 2009, Presidente Chávez promulgó reforma parcial de la Lofanb
6. , Ada Colau, 2 September 2008, "Los Comités de Tierras Urbanas y el proceso de regularización de tierras en Venezuela". Observatorio de Derechos Económicos, Sociales y Culturales (DESC) de Barcelona (España).
7. Web site: 2009. Urban Land Committees, Venezuela.