Economy
President Hugo Chávez announced on Wednesday the existence of "large deposits" of coltan, a mineral used in the manufacturing of cutting edge electronics equipments and long-range missiles.

"Experts found a strategic mineral called coltan. We have established full military control of the area (...), since some people were smuggling coltan to Colombia. They were exploiting illegally the mineral. We do not know the amount of reserves we have. However, according to the reports we have received, it is a large reserve," Chávez said.

"It is a strategic mineral (used), among other purposes, to make long-range missiles and to manufacture cellular phones. It is a superconductor," the ruler said, according to AFP.