UK Supreme Court now able to rule in Venezuelan gold dispute

The long dispute between Nicolás Maduro and Juan Guaidó on who can decide the fate of 32 tons of Venezuelan gold deposited at the Bank of England He was seen on Wednesday for conviction in the British Supreme Court.

“We were given a demanding examination job. it will take us some time consider all the arguments and deliver our judgment ”, said the President of the Court, Lord Robert Reed, the third and last day of the hearings.

Although the five judges planned four days of hearing In this very technical legal case, based on the interpretation of the law, without experts or witnesses, they had heard all the arguments on Wednesday. “We do not know when the sentence will be in this phase, but often it could be several months after the hearing ”, he told the agency AFP a spokesperson for the court.

The magistrates heard the lawyer for the British Ministry of Foreign Affairs reaffirm that the government recognizes Guaidó as president in charge of Venezuela “for all intents and purposes”. “Maduro, on the other hand, is not recognized for any purpose (…) neither with regard to his acts in Venezuela nor with respect to his acts at the international level,” said Sir James Eadie.

Therefore, defended the lawyers of the leader of the opposition, an English court has no jurisdiction to challenge the appointments it has made, although these have been invalidated by the Venezuelan justice.

Having proclaimed himself President-in-Office and having been recognized as such by fifty countries, Guaidó appointed his own parallel directorate of the Central Bank of Venezuela in July 2019.

These appointments were immediately invalidated by the Supreme Court of Venezuela, loyal to Maduro. But that didn’t stop him from going to the Bank of England, claiming to be the country’s legitimate representative and asking them not to hand over to the government. bullion, valued at nearly $ 2 billion, which he keeps in his safes.

Lawyers for the Chavist regime tried to persuade judges that “this case mainly concerns the internal affairs of Venezuela“Where the de facto power is in the hands of Maduro.

A year ago, a commercial judge in London blocked the Chavista administration from accessing the gold it needs to fight the coronavirus pandemic. But the English court of appeal overturned the decision in October, ruling that Boris Johnson’s executive could “de facto” recognize the power of Maduro, with whose administration he continues to maintain diplomatic relations.

(With information from AFP)

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