good points hondo, i think the (investment opportunities elsewhere) is probably most likely...although you've seen this kry movie as long as i have, i'd never put a date to when things will happen with this story...when it happens, it happens right now and it's usually unexpected...could be a year, a month..could be today... man, i hope it's today! my real guess is that something is happening big behind the scenes right now with regard to negotiations...

the following is an "analytical summary" or WAG based on all sources available.

all the talk (govt and media) seems to point to the fact that LC/LB will be open for business soon (everyone seems to want them open and soon). how/who will be running it and under what conditions is the question.

here are some "anomolies" i've noticed recently that point to a quick resolution.

1. all of the major ven media sources, economic experts and even some of hugo's own financial guru's are saying that the "private sector investment environment" needs to improve for ven to fight inflation and create jobs. hugo himself has said "he's open to private investment" only recently.

2. most of the ven media seems to be cooling off to the "socialist revolution" and warming up to the "economic revision" idea.

3. nationalizations are becoming one of hugo's achiles heels with the popular opinion. i'd be suprised if we see any more of them.

4. recently, stories about the necessity of increasing jobs in the "mining sector" have become commonplace with an increased biased toward gold.

5. (this is the strangest one)..i've noticed a suprising change in policy with regard to a lack of mention of the company names involved in this story in the venezuelan media (and government) recently..kry/grz/even rml seem to be a tabu right now..they'll mention LC/LB/km88/claritas you name it, but when it comes to the company name it's "trans/multi national"...this suggests to me that the parties are talking to eachother and not the media...