This is the press release from Mibam on Nov 5. Now remember it seems that ALL articles came from this or Reuters that was either supposedly there or heard it:

The National Executive will propel the industrialization of mining in
the Country.

(MIBAM Press; 11-05-08) With the firm purpose of definitely
eradicating artisan mining, the National Executive plans to propel
the industrialization of mining in Venezuela.
This information was released by the Minister of the Popular Power
for the Basic Industries and Mining (MIBAM), Rodolfo Sanz, in a radio interview by the La Voz de Guayana radio station, in the east of the country. The holder of MIBAM informed that mining exploitation in Venezuela must be industrialized; this means that it must transcend from an irrational exploitation to an industrial one that incorporates technologies for the process of extraction of the
mineral reserves.
One of the main reasons forcing the Venezuelan Government to change the mining exploitation scheme is the need to create jobs for the population and to stop the pollution that generates great
environmental damage. "Mining has to be industrialized to generate stable jobs, bring technology into the country and to chain transformation processes," Sanz declared.
As an example of the implementation of the mining industrialization policy, Minister Sanz assured that the Venezuelan Government already controls all the plants used in mining exploitation in the country, which had previously granted to third parties under concessions.
The Minister mentioned as an example the case of La Camorra and
Revemin. The state company Minerven is now administering these plants and the mining reconversion process is being implemented there, he said. La Camorra extracts 700 tons of gold ore of which 6.3 kilograms of gold are produced per day. Revemin processes 1,500 tons of material to produce 13.5 kilograms of gold per day.
The maximum authority on mining policy pointed out that, starting on 2009, gold production capacity is estimated to increase, and that it could reach the 4.2 - 8.2 tons per year range. "This is a leap of over 150% on gold production, only in three months, as a consequence of the production capacity increase of the facilities that are now owned by the State," he said.
Additionally, the Minister assured that the Las Cristinas mine would start its exploitation on 2009. This mine was in the hands of the transnational company Crystallex. He stated that this mine would be recovered and it would be operated under the State's Administration.
Las Cristinas constitutes one of the most important gold deposits in Latin America and one of the biggest in the world. It has a capacity of approximately 31 million ounces of gold worth near 35 billion dollars.
In the same way, Sanz emphasized that the State hopes to recover a series of diamond exploitation facilities –in the Guaniamo area– that are being operated by private companies. He indicated that a diamond industrial exploitation project is scheduled to start in the Guaniamo area, and that it will be used for the multiple industrial uses of this mineral.
Sanz insisted on the need to rescue the most important deposits in Venezuela with the purpose of increasing the production capacity of strategic minerals, such as gold, diamond, bauxite and uranium.
The Venezuelan government officer recognized that the gold production capacity increased this year, reaching the goal of 1.5 tons of gold.
"Because of the financial crisis that has extended worldwide, it is
necessary to try to recover our gold in order to increase our
international reserves," he added.
The systematic industrial minerals policy that the National
Government aspires to propel will allow increasing the quality of
life of the workers, their families, and everyone living in this
country.
THE END.