Last years AN speech brought a little excitement around here with Chavez mentioning LC...excerpt from transcipt:

Well, besides this, the Venezuelan State is this year's operation and
control of the Las Cristinas gold deposit, one of the largest gold
deposits in the Americas, there in the kilometer 88, in Bolivar
state. It is estimated that possesses these Cristinas, approximately
35.2 million ounces of gold, that is 1094 metric tons of estimated
reserves, of which 24.5 million ounces, 762 tons are classified as
proved.

Then the Venezuelan State, that happens to control 30 billion
dollars, which is the current estimate of the deposit, today. 30 mil.
Organized in five concessions: Cristina IV, V Cristina, Cristina VI,
VII and Cristina Brisas del Cuyuní. Under socialism. For the
development of economic growth for national development.

Because you know, I said a while ago, we know that the economy is a
tributary of the social. There are countries that boast with economic
growth. Oh surprise! But while the economy grows, the Gross Domestic
Product, also growing poverty. What sense is that!

Not here, this country is growing economically, with its own model,
sovereign, and with poverty alleviation, reduction of exclusion,
marginalization decline, the growth of living standards, standards of
living.

Attendance [applause].

President Chavez in mining have created this year, in 2008, we
established the joint venture VenRus with Russia, a Russian company
and Venezuelan company, a joint venture for the Las Cristinas
deposits.

In the fiscal area was an increase of 22 percent of the tax revenues
of mining, this is something else.