They have been "rearranging" mining and the mining laws ever since I took an interest in the kilometer 88 plays over 15 years ago, and still absolutely nothing concrete or positive has been achieved.

Where they have nationalised mines, industries and privately owned ventures, every one without exception now produces less, is worth less and has been run into the ground for the want of proper management, maintenance and investment.

The Venezuelans love committees to study and modify the findings of the earlier committee but apart form sit about and talk political verbage, they do little constructive and when they do act they make a hash of it. They call this "progress".

Hugo expends all of his energies bad mouthing other world leaders and attempting to influence his uneducated supporters to appoint him "dictator for life". He spends little time or energy in seeking out real solutions to his country's problems and makes policy on real issues "on the fly" in the middle of one of his narcissistic speeches. Any "policy" is limited to sound bites in those political speeches designed to appeal to the masses and stir up "anti the rest of the world" sentiments. Like Mugabe, Chavez holds on to power by surrounding himself with "yes men" and blaming all of his country's problems on outsiders and never mentioning the real causes, his own poor management and lack of real talent in his government.

If however the support of his military wavers, Hugo will quickly join the long list of failed corrupt leaders of Venezuela but that will of little comfort for the proud people of Venezuela, a country rich in resources which have been mismanaged and squandered by a succession of failed governments.