Guaidó asked May not to send to Maduro the Venezuelan gold from the Bank of England

Since last year, the South American country is trying to remove the gold bullion that is in the British institution for fear of international sanctions and possible embargoes, while the oil group is going through a liquidity crisis after the fall of its crude production.

Guaidó, recognized as acting president by more than a dozen US-led countries, asked in a letter to May, Jan. 26, to cease "This illegitimate transaction (…) if the money is transferable will be used by the Maduro regime to suppress the people."

The letter was also delivered to the Governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney.

The bank and May 's office did not respond to requests for comment, any more than the Venezuelan issuer.

Venezuela made this request in October, when the British bank had 14 tons of gold. But as part of the management process to mobilize bullion, the Venezuelan issuer has doubled its gold position in this institution to reach 31 tons, or $ 1,200 million.

This accumulation of ingots was due to the payment the Socialist Government made to Deutsche Bank at the end of the year to recover some 17 tonnes of gold that had been pledged as security for a loan of three. years ago.

British authorities are reluctant to mobilize bullion demanded by the Nicolás Maduro government Despite the efforts of Central Bank President Calixto Ortega, who had an interview in December with officials of the institution, without reaching the goal of repatriating gold, whose transport costs expensive, said sources during the week.

The Maduro administration It's not detailed why it gives priority to the recovery of gold as a guarantee, although since last year she has chosen to export to countries such as Turkey, which has become its last ally.

In their letters to May and Carney, Guaidó said the repatriation was illegal because Ortega's appointment to the presidency of the Central Bank had not been approved by the National Assembly.

The Venezuelan Parliament is working on an agreement to recover badets abroad.

The oil country is already in recession for five years with hyperinflation, which has resulted in the migration of some three million people since 2015, according to the United Nations.

Maduro attributes the crisis to the "economic war" unleashed by the United States and the private sector, but economists and government critics say the contraction of the economy is due to the control model.