Delcy Rodríguez demands return of 31 tonnes of Venezuelan gold held by Bank of England

Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodríguez has renewed demands that the Bank of England return roughly 31 metric tons of Venezuelan gold held in London, accusing British authorities of unlawfully withholding the country’s reserves.

“I will not give up demanding that the Bank of England return our gold,” Rodríguez said. “Enough excuses. This gold belongs to Venezuelans.”

She instructed Venezuela’s Foreign Ministry and attorney general’s office to pursue the return of the bullion through the appropriate legal and diplomatic channels.

The gold has been held at the Bank of England for years and became the subject of a prolonged legal dispute after Britain stopped recognizing Nicolás Maduro’s government.

The reserves are now worth roughly $4 billion and have become increasingly important to Caracas as it seeks funds for reconstruction following the devastating earthquakes that struck Venezuela in June.

Rodríguez’s government and a faction of the Venezuelan opposition reached an agreement in August to work jointly toward recovering the assets.

Negotiations have since included a proposal to transfer the bullion from London to the United States, where it could be held under U.S. supervision and potentially used as collateral for reconstruction financing.

The Bank of England has maintained that it requires further legal clarity before releasing the gold.

Rodríguez described the continued withholding of the reserves as “theft” and said Venezuela would continue pressing for their return.