Venezuela Approves Food Security Laws

Venezuelan Agaricultural Economy Minister Richard Canan said Monday the legislations recently approved by the local Executive seek to guarantee national food security. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez announced promulgation of 26 new decrees related to sectors such as the Armed Forces, social security, banks, public administration and others on August 1st, which were approved by the National Assembly. Canan defended legitimacy and accountability of the regulations and criticized some media adducing growing state control or false regulations and saying that the regulations approved by the National Assembly are already published in the Venezuelan Official Gazette. He said that the regulations regarding the agricultural sector benefit a great number of producers, supervise all the chains in the system, and are in frontal combat against smuggling and speculation. He mentioned the benefits of the Organic Law on Food Security and Sovereignty, but also the reach and usefulness of legislations like the Law on Agricultural Integral Health and the Law on Debt Payment Benefit. These legislations consolidate supervision of the productive chain and grant a better organization of the trade and transportation systems and other entities. He said creation of strategic reserves for basic products under the protection of the government would strongly fight speculation and provide optimum control of products, with greater participation of producers.