it's luis herrera w/ minerven imo (probably with some help from agapov)....what a mess..

Wasn't Minerven invented after the deal with KRY was signed? They weren't even around when CVG was "looking for a partner". Correct me if I'm wrong.

Some would think that logic dictates that the Corporacion Venezolana de Guayana was not able to exploit the mine, but why seek a private partner if Article 6 of the 1757 was very clear? Had to be a state agency.

Right there in the gold zone is Minerven state enterprise, according to geological studies, possess even more gold than Las Cristinas, and for this reason, the South Africans want to be allowed to operate on the premises of the mine Isidora Well in Colombia, 1,000 meters down, and they assume all costs.

The author or the article makes it sound like the deal between Venezuela-KRY is 1\10 as profitable for Venezuela as the deal between Venezuela-Placer Dome by conveniently omitting other terms of the contract.

Take an equity stake, which was 30% with Placer Dome, the state wound up signing a contract for between 1% and 3% and all rights that CVG had given the Ministry of Energy and Mines, and CVG Crystallex delivered.

The final paragraph of the "article" is a fine example of "objective journalism":

Experts will now have to discuss these issues and define which of the two was more business to the Venezuelan State, in the unlikely event that the contract of CVG and Crystallex is legal.