Sunday, 28 December 2008 - Venezuela to seize gold concessions as oil falls
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CARACAS, Venezuela: Venezuela will seize several gold-mining concessions
that previous governments granted private operators, in a bid to supplement
falling oil prices with proceeds from state-controlled gold, President Hugo
Chavez said Saturday.
Chavez named no specific contracts or companies to be affected, but his
mining minister has vowed to next year take over the nation's largest mine,
Las Cristinas, which is operated by Canadian mining company Crystallex
International Corp.
'We are taking back some concessions that former governments have given, and
whose permits are still held by some rich people,' in order to reduce public
reliance on oil, Chavez said.
Venezuela relies on oil for 94 percent of exports and roughly half its
federal budget, making it unlikely that its largely undeveloped gold
reserves could ever compete in importance.
Chavez acknowledges that oil prices — down 70 percent since topping $147 a
barrel in July — will affect Venezuela, but he insists the wealthy will
suffer more than the country's poor, who benefit from record social spending
programs that he vows to continue.
'Social investment will not be halted,' Chavez said Friday. 'This, for us,
is sacred.'
Calls to Crystallex's Toronto headquarters went unanswered Saturday, but a
Dec. 11 statement said the company had 'received no official communication
concerning changes' at Las Cristinas.
Crystallex won a contract to develop the mine in 2002, but was forced to
halt construction after Venezuela's environment ministry denied its final
permit in May.
Chavez's government nationalized four major oil projects in 2006, and has
clashed over permits and labor disputes with several international gold
mining companies this year.
Mining operations have not yet begun at Las Cristinas — located in
Venezuela's biologically rich Imataca Forest Reserve, which covers 8.6
million acres (3.5 million hectares). Environmentalists warn that mining
there could upset the delicate ecology.
Venezuela produced roughly 4.2 tons (4.3 metric tons) of gold in 2007. The
country is also rich in diamonds, bauxite and other minerals.