Frameworks for Land Policies in Latin America

New Media  | 04 de octubre de 2017  | Vistas: 155

Christopher Lingle, economist and visiting professor of Universidad Francisco Marroquín talks about land policies and land rights in latin america, particularly the urgent need of privatization of public property and legalizing private property to fight poverty and become more prosperous.

Lingle describes some basic elements of property rights and explains how in many countries around the world, land reform is a big political topic in which the main argument - giving land to the poor- is an error, because this would not make them prosperous and would solve the problem of poverty.

I believe one of the ways we can create a more prosperous society with greater freedom and justice is if we privatize the public properties and find a way to legalize private property.”

Some countries, like Zimbabwe have become more poor and misery has increased even though there have been efforts to divide land. Christopher believes there’s a misunderstanding of the nature of poverty in today’s economy because the land reforms are focused in achieving social justice, redistribution of land from rich to poor based on illusions about cause of inequalities and poverty.

Later he talks about the role of the government and how much do they fulfill their obligations.
He says the way the government is structured and the regulations and legislations create corruption, among many other disadvantages of involving the State in land policy reforms.

Lingle shares some instruments to approach land policies, such as central planning, improved government control with subsidiarity, voluntary contracts and private communities. Later talks on the nature of government controlled resources and gives his conclusions on subsoil mineral rights, private use of subsoil minerals in Guatemala and the positive outcomes it would have to legalize private property.