Published: Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Bylined to: VHeadline.com Reporters

VHeadline.com Peporters: An internal power struggle among executives at Venezuela's Ministry of Basic Industries & Mines (Mibam) has left urgent questions unanswered after yesterday's announcement that, although it had not yet been formalized by publication in the Gaceta Oficial, deputy Minister Ivan Hernandez had been replaced by Dr. Laura Paredes.

According to sources at Mibam contacted by VHeadline reporters by telephone this morning (Wednesday), Mibam Minister Jose Khan is directly denying the 'musical chairs' theme.

• Yesterday, United Miners of the South (CENACOOP) superintendent Themo Fajardo had initially welcomed the replacement saying that Hernandez was responsible for a series of bureaucratic delays at the Ministry and that, in effect, he was not doing his job properly.

While Dr. Laura Paredes currently remains as executive director in charge of mining concessions at Mibam we are given to understand that she will possibly share the deputy Minister title with Hernandez who will reputedly take another role in Minister Khan's greater mining policies ahead of publication of the new Mining Law expected in November.

Qualified support for Dr. Paredes enhanced role at Mibam comes from several other cooperative leaders who want to see small scale mining opportunities developed in parallel with larger projects such as Canadian Crystallex International's contract at Las Cristinas and other projects led by China's Shandong Gold and US Hecla Mining etc.

Mibam executives are meeting in Caracas this morning to decide if any further public statement is required and VHeadline reporters have been referred to Minister Jose Khan's office later today for update news.

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