(Bloomberg) — Venezuela’s government has produced letters apparently signed by Queen Elizabeth II to bolster its claim to more than $1 billion of gold stored in the Bank of England.
The diplomatic correspondence is evidence that the UK recognized Nicolas Maduro as Venezuela’s president, said Calixto Ortega, the head of Venezuela’s central bank.
This undermines a ruling by a judge in London last month that denied Maduro’s administration control of the bullion, Ortega said Thursday, in a rare interview. The UK’s issuance of visas to Maduro’s officials also strengthens the government’s case, Ortega added.
Opposition figure Juan Guaido is also trying to claim control of the gold in the long-running legal battle, after the UK recognized him as Venezuela’s president in 2019. The Maduro government has said it will appeal the most recent court ruling.
“Three letters signed by the Queen make for an official position,” Ortega said in Paris, while returning to Caracas from London where he discussed the issue with his lawyers.
The UK Foreign Office didn’t immediately reply to a written request for comment.