Ideally I Chavez should announce TODAY...it takes time to transport equipment, get hiring done etc...

As Jean Chretien (former PM of Canada) once said someting like, "people feel good when they see things being built and activity in the economy."

Building a mine and getting the opportunity for a job raises the spirits and maybe will get a vote or two.

On the other hand... the promise of a job (since KRY won't hire EVERY miner in the area) might be better...

I remember reading a while back (last week?) that Chavez was threatening to withhold money to those states that did not elect governers from his party. That's a pretty scarry prospect. What's the outlook for the state that LC is in?