Venezuelan interim president Delcy Rodriguez has demanded the return of her country's gold reserves held at the Bank of England, which have been frozen for over six years. The gold, valued at $1.9 billion in 2023, was seized after Britain refused to recognize Nicolas Maduro's 2018 reelection. Rodriguez accused the Bank of England of unlawfully seizing the resources, stating that the gold belongs to Venezuelans and not the bank.
The demand comes amid a diplomatic thaw between London and Caracas, following an agreement in September to appoint ambassadors to their respective missions. This move also follows an August agreement between the interim government and part of the opposition to recover the gold to aid victims of the June 24 earthquakes. Rodriguez ordered the foreign ministry and the attorney general's office to take action to secure the gold's return.
The situation escalated in 2019 when then-opposition leader Juan Guaido requested the Bank of England to withhold Venezuela's gold from Maduro's government. The demand for the gold's return follows Maduro's ousting in a US military operation nine months ago. Rodriguez criticized what she described as a 'mockery' aimed at unlawfully seizing the central bank's reserves.