Venezuela Demands Release of $4B Gold Held by Bank of England

The Bank of England has been holding onto 31 metric tonnes of Venezuelan gold worth $4billion, and Venezuela's acting President Delcy Rodríguez is demanding its release to help rebuild after two devastating earthquakes struck the country in June.

The twin tremors on June 24 killed over 6,000 people, injured another 16,740, and left 17,907 without homes. An estimated 1.8 million people are in need of urgent humanitarian assistance.

Rodríguez has been pleading with the UK government to release the gold, which is being held due to concerns over the legitimacy of President Nicolas Maduro's election. The US captured Maduro in January.