Well, it seems to me, that there has been a big wake-up call in the VZ's upper echilons. This illegal mining scene has been going on for what, decades? Now, suddenly, the army is getting invilved to the extent that they are actually doing soething. Coincidentally, the price of oil has in the toilet for the last 9 onths or so. Also, coincidentally, VZ is almost out of money. Suddenly, this barely acknowledged source of revenue, which has been very low on the radar, is important enough to get Chavez to have the armed forces go after his own people. Gotta get this illegal mining stopped. Oh yeh, and of course we must stop the eviromental distuction. ( that's been going on for ever). So maybe, just maybe, Chavez sees that all this gold in the ground has to be brought out, like right now!.

Do you think we have his attention now? Seems to me that he's finally taking the gold thing seriously, and want's to deal with it RIGHT NOW!.

What do YOU think, folks?