Venezuela to spread out payments to Lafarge, Holcim

Financial officials representing the Venezuelan government are reported to be "discussing the possibility" of initially making only a partial payment as compensation to Lafarge and Holcim, whose Venezuelan operations were expropriated in 2008. Falling oil revenues is draining the country's coffers and it is now looking at only making an up-front payment between 30% and 50% of its total obligation.