Author: La Tabla/Data Journalism Platform 8 FEB 2026
The defense for the 22 farmers detained in Barinas claims that the Public Prosecutor’s Office failed to present any proof of land ownership or allocation titles that would substantiate the accusation of land invasion. The detainees were forcibly taken by an armed group prior to their judicial proceedings in June 2025.
The defense document, which this outlet accessed, asserts that “THE ALLEGED VICTIM DID NOT SUBMIT PROPERTY DOCUMENTS OR ANY INSTRUMENT OR ALLOCATION TITLE FROM THE INTI.” Only simple copies of an unverified agro-food protection measure were presented, without confirming whether the land occupied by the farmers is the same as the land to which this measure applies.
The defense emphasizes the agricultural nature of the conflict, highlighting that no technical inspection was conducted to establish geographic coordinates to verify if the occupation took place within the La Rubiera property. “The element of ALIENABILITY is not legally demonstrated,” claims the document, undermining a key penal type.
This evidentiary gap concerns 22 farmers and a 3-year-old girl who were kidnapped on June 14 by an armed group hired by a landowner and subsequently handed over to the National Guard. They were accused of land invasion, cattle theft, and incitement to hatred during a hearing held at a military detachment.
The defense argues that, in cases concerning rural land conflicts, the jurisdiction exclusively lies with agrarian law, as established by the binding ruling 1,881 of the TSJ. This case underscores the criminalization of the fight for land in a country where 328 agrarian leaders have faced judicial action in the past five years.