VHeadline editor & publisher Roy S. Carson writes: In an exclusive interview with a source at Venezuela's National Assembly (AN), VHeadline can reveal that a meeting of the AN's Standing Committee on Economic Development scheduled for tomorrow morning (Wednesday) will hear proposals from Toronto-based gold miner Crystallex International and counter proposals from the Environment & Natural Resources (MinAmb) Ministry with regard to further development at the Las Cristinas gold mine in southeastern Bolivar State.Our source at the AN in Caracas, who requested confidentiality, says that tomorrow's meeting is part of an open-ended discussion between Crystallex and MinAmb which has not yet reached any formal agreement and that the Economic Development Committee, although not empowered to issue orders to a government minister, will attempt to act as a facilitator in those discussions in an attempt to remove remaining roadblocks to a formalization of the permission process which may yet take some time.
Asked how much longer Crystallex' final environmental permit could take, considering that the Executive had ordered MinAmb to negotiate a settlement that would allow the Las Cristinas project and others to proceed, our source said that it is impossible at this stage to give a time frame but that it could be weeks ... "certainly NOT today or tomorrow ... there is still some way to go!"
Contrary to earlier information from the Basic Industries & Mining (Mibam) Ministry, it appears that the Environment Ministry is "taking its time" in discussions with Crystallex and with Spokane-USA-based Gold Reserve, which is also awaiting fresh consideration of its previously rejected EIS permit at nearby Las Brisas del Cuyuni. Information circulating among both company's shareholders this morning that tomorrow's AN session was to have been "the final key" have been repudiated although it was rumored that a senior gold mining executive was making such a claim.
Our source says that next weekend's edition of Alo Presidente to be broadcast from El Callao will focus in Venezuela's first "socialist" gold mining company -- a 50/50 venture between Russia's Agapov Group and the Venezuelan government in the takeover of Idaho-USA-based Hecla's former holdings there (Isidora and other local mines). Although not yet confirmed, it is believed there will be several leading Russians taking part in the event which will not necessarily make mention of either Las Cristinas or Las Brisas del Cuyuni.
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