Falls into our JV timeframe - time to announce "jobs, jobs, jobs in gold mining thanks to our Chinese friends we have taken the gold back and can employ many workers."

Elections are a little over a month away I do not know how anything can be officialy announced about this until the shareholders vote favoritably on the CRRC / KRY plan which should contain the necessary permissions given in official documents. Chavez could just announce jobs and that CRRC is mining LC, but after the legislative votes are cast revert to his standstill tactic eventually blaming KRY for holding up the deal.

Too many scenarios, but I am wondering if we are being too enthusiastic about the fact that Venezuelans will vote anti socialist and move back towards free enterprise. I don't think Chavez is worried about this. My feeling is Venezuleans will vote for moderate socialist canidates- But they are not going to vote for full blown change because they have been sitting and watching too long. That kind of change won't come quickly through the elective process. At the same time as promising jobs (which only will affect peoples in the Las Cristianas area) does not help all of Venezuela unless the profits are to be devided equally and nothing in Venezuela has been fair or equal under the Chavez regeime, so how much does a mining / jobs announcement really positively affect the vote for Chavistas?

What I would like to see: The deal mailed real soon and put before the shareholders with all the permissions, price structures and gold sales laws spelled out clearly.

There is a good plan on the table, Chavez does not need to do anything but approve it, publicity and jobs would happen by themselves.

I once believed the election / mining announcement timing would prove importiant as many other posters, now not so sure. I still think the deal is going to occur, but when?

HB