This whole thing stinks to high heaven. I have been trying to follow all of the news articals and read between the lines of what was going on. It appears from all the posts the lasts two weeks that, part there is a lot of people concluding the same things.

1. There is a communication from the department of the environment to the CVG. This occurred the day before a signicant number of miners were to be relocated and paid off with 15000 strong bolivars at Las Cristinas.

One artical mentioned a mafia mentality amongst the small miners, which is not hard to believe as it sounds like a wild west town. There was also an artical in which Sanz referred to criminal activity. My guess is the organized crime is centralized around where the small miners are able to sell the gold they find. These ciminals monopolize where/how gold is sold and give well below market value. If this mafia exists it is most likely low level and used to extorting other miners. This mafia used it's low level influence (could be famiy too) to arrange the MinAmb communication the day before they were supposed to be evicted.

This same group also coordinated the roadblock at the brazilian border. What cracked me up about the 'border' stories is the people who were to be removed from the property were more concerned with getting their payoff. Obviously the reach and power of the 'mafia' is relatively limited, because these stories have died down.

Another support for the organized crime throry is the type of reporting being done. I have come to the to the conclusion that all of the press in VZ is either controlled by the government or controlled by money. The mafia (people with money) tried a blitz against Sanz and the CVG - even interviewing a felon who was in prison just to get a negative opinion against KRY.

Why would they pull out the stops on this? They are about to lose their source of income and power. If there is no tax free illegal mining - they lose their money making machine. If KRY and GRZ come in and have to 'work with' the small miner - even a small miner will have a place where they can get market value for their gold. They will be the place miners go to sell their gold.

Part 2 of my thoughts will centralize around the CVG/Hugo/MinAmb saga. My opinion - EVERYONE - got caught with their pants down. (for some this has been their ortega fantasy for some time - me NOT incuded)

To be continued..............