Venezuelan leader demands Bank of England return gold

Delcy Rodriguez, Venezuela's interim president, has called for the return of $1.9 billion in gold reserves frozen at the Bank of England since 2016. The gold cannot be accessed due to Britain's refusal to recognize Nicolas Maduro's presidency following the 2018 elections. Rodriguez criticized the situation as theft and emphasized that the gold belongs to the Venezuelan people. Relations between Venezuela and the UK have been tense since 2019, when Juan Guaido requested the bank to withhold the gold from Maduro's government. Recent diplomatic efforts have been made to improve ties, and an agreement was reached to recover the gold for earthquake victims. Rodriguez has instructed government officials to pursue the gold's return through legal channels.