E-Bear, that is exactly right, and as usual, you have provided a penetrating and useful post. BUT, my feeling is that the BOD owed me a fiduciary responsibility but not the Ecuadorian Government. I may be wrong, but my sense is the BOD lulled me into a false sense that they were considering the best interests of Aurelian and its shareholders, NOT their own pocketbooks.

The Government approach, as you delineate it, was mistaken and untimatately sad for all concerned. Somehow, though, I half-expected this having viewed the Latin American tragi-comedy over the years and noted that their governing bodies have perennial tendencies to shoot themselves in the foot. The people are great, but have an awful time with governance. THAT to me is a risk factor and a major one, but the BOD's actions, to me, were a betrayal.