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--Venezuela, in addition to planning the nationalization of other key
sectors of the economy, eyes the nationalization of the mining
industry, the country's foreign minister said Thursday.

  "The basic industries of minerals should be in the hands of the
national state," Foreign Minister Nicholas Maduro said. He spoke at the
sidelines of a summit of leaders of the Common Market of the South, or
Mercosur trade block, taking place here Thursday and Friday.

  Maduro, however, didn't elaborate on the issue of nationalizing the
mining industry.

  A number of Canadian, U.S. and Brazilian mining companies are
operating in Venezuela.

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