Long...I wish I could offer some concrete information.  I've been wondering the same thing myself.  By all accounts KRY has lived up to their responsibilities.  If the opposition takes it I'm thinking worst case is that we have more endless delays with the political BS down there (notwithstanding the AN 'vote of confidence')....environmental decent...possibly Chavez sour grapes...but more respect for the rule of (contract) law.  If Chavez takes it....I'm thinking that we may get a quicker, more decisive decision on the permit...but with the 'worst case' possibility of a change in the "deal".  Who knows.  We all know that Chavez is a nationalizing nut job.  The way I look at it...the danger to KRY is that they have not yet received the permit and are, therefore, (arguably) not in as strong a bargaining position from the perspective of being manipulated\strong-armed by Chavez.  On the other hand, the advantage KRY has is that the mine has not been built yet.  Chavez is an expert at taking what already has been built.  Who is going to build the mine for him?  Could he strangle KRY financially (at their current burn rate) and allow a Russian miner to take over the operation at pennies on the dollar?  Perhaps....but there are a lot of 'poor Chavenistas' looking for work...and he would really 'F' up his Karma for future investment.  Chavez' public statements confirm that he is acutely aware of the precarious position of the U.S. dollar.  His desire to take control of the VZ central bank and foreign currency reserves implies that he has a fundamental understanding that, like oil, gold is a strategic asset that would be in his own power hungry best interest of controlling.  That is bothersome to me.  Good luck!