Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
these lands.''
12
The telegram is not explicit about the legal status of the
land, but the author's choice of words (ocupantesandocupación)strongly
suggests that the families did not possess written leases or titles.
Conflicts and confusion over land titles persisted well into the twen-
tieth century. In 1923, the National Congress passed a temporary measure
prohibiting the transfer of national lands to third parties. According to
U.S. consul Robert L. Keiser, the act was passed in response to popular
protest over the transfer of lands to ''foreign interests.'' He added that the
immediate effect of the legislation would be to end ''much undesirable
activity on the part of various persons of influence in the controlling po-
litical party in obtaining concessions and immediately disposing of them
to foreign interests at exorbitant profits.''
13
Twoyears later, legislation set-
ting aside national lands for family parcels (lotesdefamilia) sparked nu-
merous claims by squatters. On September 10, 1925, an o
cial from the
Ministry of Government based in La Ceiba, Melecio Zelaya, complained
that the ''foreign companies''' efforts to keep ''Honduran workers'' off of
theirpropertieshadresultedinnumerouscomplaintsbackandforthsince
''...everyoneclaimstohaverightstoland.''
14
Hecalledforthecreationofa
government-appointed commission headed by a ''trustworthy engineer''
to carry out land surveys in order to know ''once and for all'' which lands
belonged to the nation and ''above all'' which ones were legally owned by
''the foreign companies.'' That same month, Zelaya received complaints
from theTela Railroad Company that ''many individuals'' were occupying
its lands near Tela.
15
In Yoro, an agent of the Cuyamel Fruit Company al-
legedly prohibited residents from establishing their milpas (cornfields) in
a place known as Laguneta.
16
El Negrito mayorVicente Nolasco explained
that the farmers of Laguneta had held the land for more than twenty years
and requested that the national government help recover ''our rights.'' In
this case, verifying property lines was complicated by the fact that local
records had been lost in a fire.
17
Following six months of traveling through the North Coast in 1930,
Rafael Barahona concluded that the need to survey national lands in
the region was a matter of ''transcendental importance.''
18
He suggested
that ''all of the banana companies'' be required to place stable boundary
markersvisiblefromadistanceof100meters,toindicatetheextensionsof
theirproperties.Thenan''honorableandcompetentcommission''should
be established to verify the companies' markers. The measure, Barahona
added, would benefit the national treasury in addition to small-scale cul-
tivatorssinceitwouldprovideaclearbasisfordeterminingpropertytaxes
and rental fees.
