Been There,

Do you think that Correa might be "one smart horse trader"....

Correa being young doesn't necessarily mean that he hasn't learned his bargaining skills at the U.S. University he attended...and then honed them more in the South American way when he was the Finance Minster of Ecuador!

As I've stated before, if you have ever tried to buy something in a 3rd world country....Haggling over the price is considered "good manners" and aslo shows that you are "not a fool with your dinero"

These press releases could have been used by the Correa team to "prime the pump" for starting the negotiations at a higher price (and in such, looking good to the People)...and then being "advised" by experts from around the World on how to have an effective Mining industry that will be profitable to both parties!

If you have ever studied history, and seen how propaganda is used by Governments to further their interests politically, economically and to sway their own populace to their beliefs....then it doesn't take too much to see how the media is used as a tool by the forces that control the government....sure you have a few good independent papers that have investigative reporters, as you see with Watergate and Enron....but most are just hack reporters trying to make a living, by reporting any information they are "given" so that they have a story to turn in...

All this turmoil is just part of their bargaining scheme, I believe....They are amateurs at running the counrty, but I think they know what they have in their natural resources...and that it is their future in the Economics of the world...They are not going to give it away! This is their one "chance at the brass ring" and they are going to bargin hard, but find a "middle ground"!

This process won't take too long because Correa needs to make this industry start to "flower" and produce quickly for his needed revenues to make his social programs work for his People...or else he will be out in the streets, like the rest of the Presidents that the Ecuadorians have thrown out!

Just my thoughts,

 Long for Cash