Farmer Franklin Britos, 49, died last night at approximately 9 pm, at the Carlos Arvelo Military Hospital of Caracas as a result of a hunger strike which began several months ago to protest against “expropriation policy and nationalizations carried out by the Hugo Chávez government.”

According to his wife, Elena Brito, “he died around 9 pm due to a heart attack.” His weight was 35 kilos, his body mass index was below 10 percent and he showed clinical signs of hypothermia critical.

Britos made several hunger strikes since July 2, 2009, protesting against the expropriation of his lands, in Bolivar state (south). About 24 hectares of land were taken from him by the authorities in 2003, and in which he grew yucca and watermelons. The latest hunger strike he had begun was on March 1.

The Government had accused Britos of being mentally unstable and the opposition of trying to take advantage of his protest for political gain in the general elections on September 26th. Despite claims of such strategic capitalization, one cannot argue that the authoritarian regime of Hugo Chavez has wielded nationalization as a political weapon to aggregate power and in his efforts to wildly push an ALBA doctrine slowly decreasing in support, leaves casualties, like Mr. Britos, in his wake.