Now that is not chump change for sure. However, our friend the dictator, Mr Chavez does not any intention of paying those companies who have been, as you say, nationalized. Why would he when he can just get one of his socialist buddies, like the Russians or the Chinese, to fund his personal agenda projects. IF he can get away with it he will try; IF pressure is applied via international abritration he will use what ever legal tatic available to stall any actions; IF he does not have any legal action to stall he will just re-invent some law or reason to continue to avoid. He is above any and all laws so it appears; a real nut case for sure.

Unless, Mr Chavez is removed from office and now it seems the only way is an organized effort from an anti Chavez group, the citizens of VZ (or prisoners) are destined to poverity (or slavery) or the like with no hope for any kind of prosperous future. The other problem is these same people are so blinded by the dictator himself that they cannot see through all the fluff and have no idea how suppressed they are actually being treated. Sad situation for all including all those investors (yes, US too) who had the carpet yanked out from under our feet as we risked our rewards to build a gold mine in Las Cristinas only to be treated the same as the people who live in VZ.

I am now actually believing that maybe even the Russians and the Chinese may have second thoughts about investing in VZ...Never mine... there is way to much gold in the ground and these same investors would sell their grandmother to get at it. Oh, and screw the people of VZ and even Mr Chavez if they could.

When will the people of Venezuela wake up!