CLACS Media Collection

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The struggle for ownership of land in Nicaragua has been particularly bitter. This film takes an in-depth look at the history of agrarian reform policies since they were first instituted by the Sandinista administration in 1979. In 1979, about 20 percent of the country's rich farm land formerly owned by the Somozas was turned into state farms. Eleven years later, the Sandinistas lost power and President Violeta Chamarro dismantled the cooperative movement and established a commission to adjudicate the land claims. Farmers lost title to the land and much of the best farm land was sold to rich private individuals. Protests against the government by impoverished farmers continue to this day. An informative film for classes in the politics and economics of Latin America.

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