Hugo doesn't see his actions as negative in regard to gold mining or anything else. He is the current leader of the most modern "cargo cult" and as such he believes that all the wealth of the world belongs to venezuela and that it is only being denied them because of unfair control of foreigners who are attempting to take what is rightfully his... It colors all of his decisions, and indecisions; few, if any of his actions have a basis in logical rational business principles and by surrounding himself with like minded believers his ideas are constantly reinforced but are impossible to implement, or if implementation is attempted, result in adverse outcomes.

Wikipedia has a description of cargo cults here...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cargo_cult

Some snippets....

"A cargo cult is a type of religious practice that may appear in tribal societies in the wake of interaction with technologically advanced, non-native cultures. The cults are focused on obtaining the material wealth of the advanced culture through magical thinking, religious rituals and practices, believing that the wealth was intended for them by their deities and ancestors."

"Members, leaders, and prophets of cargo cults maintain that the manufactured goods ("cargo") of the non-native culture have been created by spiritual means, such as through their deities and ancestors, and are intended for the local indigenous people, but that, unfairly, the foreigners have gained control of these objects through attraction of these material goods to themselves by malice or mistake".