Let take a minute to put this all in perspective. Hugo is using the US/Russian relationship as political fodder to try and further his image of himself as a world leader. He will continue to rattle his sabre but will do nothing.

Now back to the permit. I don't need to list all the things we know that lead us to believe the permit will be issued because it has been done many times here by many smarter than me. What I do know is that in the scope of importance LC is a local issue and state issue to the VZ government.

They will make as much political hay as they can out of it for state elections but it doesn't rank up there for national importance. The permit will be issued and we will know about before hand by the volume.

With Ortega officially out of the way we are at the end of the road. I believe that we are about to get the permit as soon as tomorrow and at the latest end of next week. It will be announced with a halt by KRY with a run up on volume and price unless it happens on a weekend. I think management would love to halt us on a Friday so people could think about it all weekend.

JJ