This is posted on Mineweb today. I'll try to paste in the link, if it doesn't work, just go to Mineweb. This is pretty well read and could be adding to tody's instability, even though it is a repeat of yesterday.

GOVERNMENT INVOLVEMENT
Venezuela won't renew mining concessions, favours jvs and operating contracts
Venezuela's Mining Minister said, at a regional summit, the country is halting the policy of mining concessions and moving towards a system of joint ventures and, eventually, operating contracts.

Posted: Thursday , 25 Jun 2009
MARACAY, VENEZUELA, (REUTERS)

-
Venezuela's government said Wednesday it will not renew mining concessions after they expire as part of efforts to move the sector toward joint ventures and operations contracts.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, a Cuba ally who is trying to build a socialist revolution, has increased state control over mining, oil and other sectors of the economy, forcing some investors into joint ventures with a government majority.

"We have halted the policy of concessions, we are moving toward joint ventures and eventually to operating contracts," Mining Minister Rodolfo Sanz said at the start of a regional summit of Venezuela's leftist allies.

OPEC-member Venezuela last month ended two concessions held by U.S.-based miner Gold Reserve GRX.TO in one of Latin America's largest gold deposits.

Chavez has steadily nationalized large parts of Venezuela's economy. Some investors have been paid what experts estimate is a fair price for their assets, but the takeover of heavy oil operations run by U.S. oil companies sparked legal disputes.

(Reporting by Enrique Andres Pretel; writing by Patrick Markey in Bogota; Editing by John Picinich)
© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved

Here's the address in three parts:

http://www.mineweb.com/mineweb/

view/mineweb/en/page72068?oid

=85491&sn=Detail