I believe that while it is possible to talk to lower level officials in all the relevant ministries who really have a handle on the technical and legal issues, those officials are powerless when it comes to making binding commitments and politically acceptable deals.

What has really come out of MIBAM in the past few years?? There hasn't been a single approval of anything significant and even RML has been super quiet and despite their "favoured status" and soothing reports they still haven't got a final signed deal on any of their JV's or other projects.

The whole of the civil service simply goes through the motions of running the country, knowing full well that all decisions can be overturned on a whim by Chavez regardless of existing contracts and the law and their own future goes on the line every time they attempt to do their job properly. For them talk is OK but action is far too risky.

As a result you can be sure that real activity in almost all government ministires is limited to endless meetings which are empowered to allocate the timing of lunch breaks for the staff, and little else!