Although all of this should be in the Off Topic Forum, I thought I would add my two pennies.

Vale, based in Rio, sounds like an interesting theory. Last I remember, Brasil and the US have decent political and trade relations.

Seems a more likely takeover (one where permits are, shall we say, unnecessary) would come out of a country with strained relations with the US, either political or trade. Maybe Iran, Russia (Rusoro), China (Sino), or Cuba. All with extremely good relations with Venezuela.

However, anything is possible.