A new settlement in Chile, named “Freedom Orchard,” set up by an American ex-pat and former staffer on the Ron Paul 2008 campaign, has been launched to attract “North American and European ex-pats” who seek a new life with traditional freedoms away from the intrusions of big government.

The settlement is centered around a housing and organic farm development north of Curacaví, Chile, and 45 minutes west of Santiago. The principal behind the project is Frank Szabo, formerly deeply involved with the Ron Paul campaigns in the US and who later ran a sheriff campaign in Maine which drew national media attention.

According to an email Szabo sent out this week to supporters, he said it has “been a long time since I was involved with the 2008 Ron Paul campaign in Pa. So much has happened in our country. I can’t say that it’s all been for the better.

“In 2011, I moved to New Hampshire, as part of the Free State Project, with the intention to start an organic farm. It became very clear very quickly that I could build the most wonderful farm and some bureaucrat could destroy it with the stroke of a pen.

“When my “last option” to make a real difference fell through, I followed the lead of my grandfather, from almost 100 years ago. I left my homeland for greener pastures. I am now living with my wife and daughter in Chile.

“We have found the people to be very friendly and, Chile is one of the few countries left which still views Americans in a very positive light. Chile still is a democratic republic.”

According to his website’s mission statement, Freedom Orchard (Vergel Libertad) “seeks to acquire and develop property throughout Chile, suitable for establishing sustainable communities, and alternative sites for organic farming, forestry, light industry and recreation, that will be attractive to freedom-minded people worldwide.

“Freedom Orchard will be developed with roads and access to electricity, water and cable/high speed internet. It will be a haven — free from the hustle and bustle of the city, free from its smog and traffic congestion.

“Other than some basic restrictive covenants to protect property owners, it will be a place free of intrusive rules and regulations, nestled in a country which is widely considered to be one of the freest in the world.

“Being in Chile, newcomers will be able to achieve relative freedom from intrusive and abusive government meddling and enjoy lower taxes. Freedom Orchard will be a magnet to draw liberty-loving people from all over the world.

Further information can be found in the project’s brochure and their website.

Szabo is CEO of Freedom Orchard Organics and VP of International Sales for Eyzaguirre y Cobin S.A., both Chilean companies. He earned his B.S. in Business Administration from La Salle University in Philadelphia.

The other principals in the venture are Germán Eyzaguirre and Dr. John Cobin. Eyzaguirre is a Chilean native with aristocratic roots and extensive family land holdings who is a graduate of Universidad de Chile law school and has become a self-taught expert in agronomy, horse breeding and aspects of civil engineering.

He previously developed over a dozen large communities in Chile since the 1970s, is part owner in a gravel pit firm, and once ran the largest shirt factory in Chile—which was confiscated by the communist government of Salvador Allende in 1972. He had long before held “right-wing” views that made him a target of communists.

Dr. John Cobin is Professor of Economics and Public Policy at Universidad Andrés Bello in Chile and holds a Ph.D. in public policy, an M.A. in economics from George Mason University, and an M.A. in business economics from the University of California at Santa Barbara.

Chile is one of the 30 OECD countries, with just under $20,000 USD of GDP per capita (PPP).

That means that Chile has become one of the most prosperous non-enclave countries in the world (top 15%), and certainly in Latin America.

Santiago and Viña del Mar offer a modernity and First World lifestyle echoed in other nearby places such as Pucón, Zapallar, Las Brisas (Rocas de Santo Domingo), and Puerto Varas.

See also “Nova Europa: European Survival Strategies in a Darkening World.”