Venezuela has figuratively "sold it's soul to the devil". For whatever reason, they have decided to voluntarily become a satellite state of Russia. That may pay some short-term dividends (some free weapons and an opportunity to thumb it's nose at America), but in the long run they lose.

Case in point: supposedly the big snag to getting this mine started was the "environmental impact" in the Imataca Forest Reserve. Crystallex promised (and could have easily delivered) a solution that would have allowed mining and protecting the environment at the same time.

Does anyone believe that Rusaro will deliver the same protections to the environment that Crystallex would have?

What leverage does Chavez have over Rusaro when they come in, foul up the entire forest? NONE!!

Can (or will) they mine the land as efficiently as Crystallex, or will they come in, grab all the low hanging fruit (the big deposits) and walk away?

No one ever did business with Tony Soprano and came away the better for it.