As someone who deals with this on a daily basis, the key here is getting consensis. Environmental issues are such a hot button issue everywhere, and developers and environmentalists are always going at each other.

Ortega is just doing her job, protecting the environment of Venezuela. Underneath all of the posturing, she likely wants the project to go through as it would help the Venezuelan locals. For some reason, the current project proposal is not acceptable. Assuming the true reasons are environmental, Ortega needs a way to make it acceptable. Mitigagtion would be the answer.

I don't know about you, but I have noticed that whenever litigation starts or is threatened, or interpretation over the meaning of regulations or law is argued, the process just slows down to nearly halting.

The way to work Ortega is not to litigate, but to mitigate. Litigation is always confrontational. Mitigation is always working together to solve a problem.

Granted, there are many many ideas and opinions on what is really going on here with Ortega. Many of which are not about the environment and it is a squeeze play by Chavez to get a bigger piece of the pie. But, if this is truly an environmental issue, then mitigation is the answer.

Jim