In Search Of The Million Dollar Farm
The people who live in "El Potrero" are not talking about anything else. The $3 million dollar farm. Rumors are circulating everywhere, and everyone wants to know the location of the farm. There are very few people in the village who know the exact location of the farm which has been used to secure the release of 13 people on bail, including the former Ministers of Education Salvador Rodriguez and Belgis Castro, and the former Municipal Engineer Jaime Salas. The villagers are afraid of what might happen to their lands, once the authorities begin to investigate farm number 50728. Omar Osses wants the investigation to take place in order to avoid problems for the community. Osses owns one hectare of land. He, like many others, are wondering what will happen to their farms. They don't know anything, and they only know what they have read in the newspapers. There are others who hope the value of farm number 50728 could also apply to their lands. "I want to sell my farm to see if I can become a millionaire," said Jose Neri Gonzalez who also owns one hectare.
IN SEARCH OF THE LOST FARM - Our mission was not easy. None of the local authorities knew where the million dollar farm was located. "We don't know where that farm is," said Sacramento Guevara, the representative of El Potrero. Guevara even asked area residents if they knew of the farm or its owner. "Through conversations with the inhabitants we know that several properties have been sold in this area, but none with such a high price," he said. Not much is known about Rodrigo Muñoz Sánchez either, and the only thing for sure is that the farm in question was owned by Mariela Bernal and that she paid just $6,000 for it, compared to the $3 million dollars it's supposedly worth on the open market now. We finally reached the place. Twenty minutes drive from the entrance of El Potrero, and then after walking for half an hour, we found the millionaire hectare. There is nothing different about farm number 50728 that makes it different from the other surrounding properties. It's hilly terrain, surrounded by trees.
José del Carmen Pérez who owns the neighboring property said Mariela Bernal sold her farm to Edwin Guerrero, and intermediary. Now the intermediary, with whom La Estrella was able to talk, is considering selling their land in El Potero to become a millionaire. "The value Rodrigo gave the land is good for us," he said.
After the anomalies found with farm 50728 that was used to obtain multiple bail bonds, it was learned there is a draft of a new law in the works in the Public Ministry, that seeks to change Article 2162 of the Judicial Code, to which the following would be added: "In the case of bail bonds the judge or prosecutor may ask the Directorate of Land Registry to certify that the property being used as collateral to guarantee the bail bond actually has the value indicated to guarantee the security of the State." (Source: La Estrella)
