I do not necessarily mean Newmont because they probably, being American, have an aversion to Chavez but...
There are others ( some already have a stake in Venezuela ) who do not have such aversions and would fit in just fine.
I merely used Newmont as an example of a big cap spending and risking capital when they could easily aquire both Gold Reserve's Brisas and Crystallex's Christinas at a relative bargain price compared to further exploration.

I am betting that many of these big caps are not blind. That they are not only looking but are aquiring shares subterfugely. The current share prices of Crystallex ( that could be argued differently ) and Gold Reserve are no accident, imho.