This Article is dated June 19, 2009

Government's silence obliges Crystallex carry case "Las Cristinas" before the Supreme Court

Canadians say it has not received official notification about the termination of the operation of the mine by the firm since 2004 environmental permit to begin exploiting the gold reserves

The legal struggle of several foreign companies to put hand to exploit a golden dream of the biggest gold deposits in the world, "Las Cristinas", has not ended.

Placer Dome after it was taken out of the road to the mining company Crystallex, these Canadians have made since 2002 that the Venezuelan government approved the environmental permits. Only requirement they need to begin to exploit the gold deposit, where reserves are estimated at 17 million ounces.

By this, the Canadian company Crystallex is considering introducing an appeal to the Supreme Court in an effort to obtain an answer that lets you start operating with absolute certainty, a source revealed to the company.

Following that in April 2008 the Directorate General permission from the Ministry for the Environment does not approve the allocation of natural resources, mining again introduced to the collections appeal. The refusal was upheld by this direction.

He now rests in the hands of Yuvirí Ortega Lovera, Minister of Environment. At the request of a resource hierarchy, the officer must terminate the lengthy process of dispute between the office and headed the company Crystallex, deciding for or against the establishment.

For over a year waiting for an answer, despite the fact that after its introduction, the Act establishes a ruling within 90 days.

In a communiqué issued in May last year, the company said that the legislation provides that the mining may appeal to a range of remedies to be applied both in Venezuela and abroad to protect their rights.

In this sense, the commercial attache of Venezuela in Canada, Louis Poisson, expressed concern for Canadian companies, it has always maintained "excellent relations with the country", are initiating arbitration proceedings and other assessments.

Poisson difficult to encourage Canadian companies to invest in Venezuela. They look at the legal difficulties that have crossed coterráneas to start their business, which in most cases involve large investments and are not being attracted.

The Canadian officer said that it has proved impossible for them to build a bridge of dialogue with the Government. Have not been able to learn the status of agreements and legal processes that Canadian companies face with the Venezuelan state.

While waiting at the opening of the water treatment plant planned for the village of Las Claritas in the original contract with the State, the executive president of the subsidiary Crystallex Venezuela, Luis Felipe Cottin, refused to discuss in depth the legal .

He assured, however, that the mine has all the required documentation, compliance with contract clauses, and especially those in the social benefit. Await the response from the minister, and are optimistic at the outcome of management.

Meanwhile, illegal mining is still making theirs in the vicinity of Las Cristinas.

And the government takes its time to take control of the mine, after it announced last November the possibility of exploiting the Las Cristinas mining company Rusoro whose adjective form part of the new geopolitics of the Chavez administration.

Cottin says there is nothing official. "We have an agreement to mine and we are satisfied. We have not received any notification that says it does not."