Yara Aquino
Reporter - Agência Brasil

Brasília – Minister of Foreign Relations, Celso Amorim, testifying before the Senate Foreign Affairs Commission, declared that productive land, with proper documentation, owned by Brazilians in Bolivia should not be expropriated as part of that country's recently announced land reform. The land reform comes on the heels of the nationalization of Bolivia's gas and oil reserves on May 1.

"Brazilian farmers are not unproductive and if they have their documents in order, they should not have any problems," said Amorim, pointing out that 60% of the soy exported by Bolivia is grown by Brazilians. However, the minister went on to say that in the case of land occupied by Brazilians without proper documentation the situation is "undefined."

Translation: Allen Bennett