Hugo has waved the China and Russia flags. China must have been not interested and the Russian connection ( Rusoro) flunked. Recently he supposedly tried Iran and now India probably because Iran had no takers. So India is a possible mining country? In India yes, in Venezuela particularly gold, not likely.

As for Venezuela wanting to deal only with companies that are stable financially then what is the problem as far as Gold Reserve is concerned? All we lack is the go ahead. I think this is a dig at Crystallex and the recent fiasco with Rusoro. Both are on the ropes financially. He wants financially stable companies because he does not intend to fork over cash for mine development and yet he wants a partnership.
So he wants something for nothing and no one wants that kind of partnership, thus the delay.

Crystallex obtained permits from the ministries until the message got to Chavez that his final say was needed, that is how the 25 million dollar payment became the subject and that was that.

Gold Reserve was on the same track permit wise and they got further because they have no skeletons in their closet BUT giving the final OK to Gold Reserve would lay bare the hold on Crystallex and provide ammunition to any legal case by them, So Gold Reserve also had to be put on hold.

All this is is just my ranting, I have no priviledged info but my suspicious intuition.