CJR...according to Moola's posted article...the miners met with Hugo yesterday and some of them are going to be paid...at least that is what the article said. I think this mine is more important to Hugo than a lot of us believe....not for the jobs but for what gold will do for the Venezuelan currency\economy going forward. If, as Jim Sinclair and others state, gold will be the basis for the new world reserve currency...(and Hugo was well aware of the coming US economic crisis in keeping with public statements he made over the past couple of years)...then Las Cristinas is way up there on Hugo's radar. Gold and Oil....puuuurfect together. BTW...within the next couple of years oil wll be at $200\barrel or higher (imo). Hugo will be demanding payment for oil purchases from the US in gold and will be strengthening the gold reserves of his newly nationalized bank by mandating gold sales from Las Cristinas to the Vz. central bank. I think this is how KRY may get screwed long term. I really can't wait to get out of this hell hole.