Southern Bolívar State Governor's Office joined President Hugo Chávez' campaign to eradicate latifundios in Venezuela by issuing a decree whereby it adheres to and enforces the Land and Agrarian Development Law.

The move is intended to support Chávez' administration policy to redistribute non-productive lands and implement a nationwide plan to assure sustainable agro-alimentary self-supply, said Bolivar State governor Francisco Rangel Gómez.

Under the decree, a High Level Committee will be formed to implement a land organization plan. Rangel urged private landowners to report to authorities the use and tenure of their lands.

The committee will have 60 days to prepare a report on the status of production of the local tracts, and the document will be handed over to the National Land Institute.

Bolívar is the largest state in Venezuela (240,000 square kilometers). It comprises several national parks, areas under special management, the Imataca Sierra, an industrial zone (where iron ore, steel, and aluminum are produced) and lakes generating hydroelectric power for the whole country.