No. I'm saying they HOPE it changes his mind but they are realistic it probably won't.

The current proposed JV is basically the same one they presented last year. There are no new factors to this JV and nothing in this proposed JV that KRY has been told is a problem.

That's the real problem. No one in Ven ever tells KRY what the real problem is so that KRY can get around it.

KRY is hopeful this time the answer is "yes" because the players in the conversations sometimes change and because the politics down there is sometimes fluid. But mostly they hope the answer is yes because they have not been told, officially, that the answer is no. So they keep talking and keep trying but expectations are low.

Ven officials have expressed a desire to resolve the LC matter without arbitration, which is not unusual, but no one has told KRY that "arbitration will not be necessary". In fact, other than "assurances" that were given last year, there is nothing new beyond the: Gee fellas we sure hope we can work this out.

Kry hopes that in the next several weeks it should be evident if there really was a desire to avoid arbitration. Until then it's only speculation and hearsay. KRY has resigned themselves to fact that Chavez will probably be reelected and he will be a thorn in their sides with or without the JV.

This information was derived from conversations with Richard and Andrea.

Cividale