EZ, why do you think they're still negotiating anything? Chavez is a dictator. He runs things for his own benfit. Going to arbitration is neither here nor there to him - ain't his money; development of LC is neither here nor there to him at any one moment in time; concern for employment etc. is neither here nor there for him. What is important is self-preservation, rigging the next elections, and making sure everyone in his coterie is on-side and not about to throw him under the bus.

His relationship with the Chinese is most likely one of two siblings who fight all the time. They have to be together, but other than more dough in his and his cronies' pockets, it's neither here nor there.

And in any event, if he ever thinks about LC, his overriding concern is to get KRY out, or at the very least, make sure their involvement is completely buried from public view.

Hence the note from Richard - "We ain't announcing anything, because it has been made clear that any announcements have to come from Vennie, and only when they're good and ready." The Chavistas only concern for LC is that they are able to put their spin on it, and keep putting up the straw-man of Chavez kicking out the imperialists 4-5 timnes a year. The ones high up in the govt. couldn't give two s**ts whether any gold ever comes out of the ground, 'cause it ain't theirs, and they've got personal self-preservation at stake. They know that if Chavez loses an election, they're all likely to end up in jail under the next regime.

I'm staying in this because there is a chance (I don't think it's a big chance anymore) - that I will be able to sell for more than the .40 that I was lucky enough to get in on with my most recent buys, and to sell now, at .32 and under would be pointless, under any scenario.