Now a days, anyone can take away anyone’s gold. It just needs turning Guaido, and master’s backing. Master’s law is there to help Guaido turn a gold grabber. The United Kingdom’s English High Court (EHC) has ruled that Juan Guaido is Venezuela’s legitimate president. According to the EHC, Nicolas Maduro is not the country’s president.
The discovery of a self-proclaimed president without constitutional backing has been made through a legal battle in the EHC. The legal battle was for gold bullion worth $1 billion owned by the people of Venezuela.
The Bank of England (BOE) holds about $2 billion of Venezuela’s gold for safekeeping.
The BOE rejected Venezuela’s request to withdraw Venezuela’s gold in January.
It was reported that the BOE acted according to the US officials’ suggestion.
The BOE’S measures forced the Banco Central de Venezuela (BCV), Venezuela’s central bank, to file a claim against the BOE.
In May, the BCV filed a claim demanding that UK release more than $1 billion in gold to address the emergency that has arisen due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Both the Venezuelan government and the Guaido gang are claiming the gold.
Commercial Court judge Nigel Teare, sitting at the High Court of England and Wales, was asked to rule on who was authorized to make the demand – Maduro or Guaido.
The EHC said on July 2, 2020 that the UK “unequivocally recognizes” Guaido as Venezuela’s president.
In his judgment, Justice Nigel Teare said: “Her Majesty’s Government does recognize Mr Guaido in the capacity of constitutional interim president of Venezuela […].”
Venezuela demands its gold back so that the gold can be sold to buy medicine and equipment to battle coronavirus pandemic.
Venezuela has said the funds would be directly transferred to the United Nations Development Program to ensure that it isn’t used for any other purpose.
But, the Guaido gang claims the gold. The gang claims Maduro shall use the money to pay off his allies.
Guaido, a Venezuelan lawmaker, proclaimed himself as the country’s interim president in 2019.
That “interim” period has expired. He has no following in the country, which was repeatedly shown by none, but Guaido himself in the gatherings he announced to hold more than once.
Even, his self-proclamation has no legal and constitutional basis.
Despite the facts, the imperialist camp recognizes Guaido as Venezuela’s president. The number of countries recognizing Guaido as “the president” is about 60, and the camp includes, no doubt, the UK. The UK’s act is a faithful-disciple-following-his-master business.
Despite the “recognition”, many countries in the imperialist camp maintain full diplomatic relations with the Maduro government. The UK is among these countries.
Can a government keep diplomatic relations with a government while recognizes another individual as president? Yes, that can be done in imperialist world order; and the order has its legal backing – The Court.
The Venezuela government made moves to remove its gold stored in the UK after the 2018 election, which Maduro won and the opposition boycotted.
Boris Johnson, then the UK’s foreign minister, said at the time that the UK “may have to tighten the economic screw on Venezuela.”
As the US increased its sanctions-assault on Venezuela, the Maduro government informed the BOE that Venezuela wished to take its gold back.
Lawyers for the Guaido gang insisted that Guaido has the right to assert claim to the gold as the US and its allies recognize him as the nation’s leader.
Sarosh Zaiwalla, representing the BCV, said his clients would apply for an appeal.
He said: The judgment “entirely ignores the reality of the situation on the ground. Mr Maduro’s government is in complete control of Venezuela and its administrative institutions, and only it can ensure the distribution of the humanitarian relief and medical supplies needed to combat the coronavirus pandemic.”
He called on the court to disentangle law and politics, adding that approval of a government has nothing to do with its formal recognition.
He added: “This outcome will now delay matters further, to the detriment of the Venezuelan people, whose lives are at risk.”
With approximately 400,000 gold bars – nearly $250 billion-worth – the BOE is the second-largest gold storage facility in the world after the New York Federal Reserve. Not all these gold bars are of the UK. Many countries keep their gold there as the countries consider the place as safe. Venezuela is one of these countries. Now, a safe-keeper is denying the gold to the owner!
The BOE prides itself on never having had any gold stolen in its more than 320-year history.
But, what happens now?
Stealing of gold from the BOE’s vaults is not the action needed. What’s needed is employing a Guaido gang – faithful servants.
The ruling has implications.
It comes out as imperialist masters can employ a Guaido in a country against a government it dislikes, and the appointed Guaido will have fortunes at opportune places. That’s the benefit of turning into a Guaido.
With this exposure of the “logic” of law, countries keeping their gold in other places considered safe will now think twice while persons in countries will search paths to turn another Guaido. Turning into Guaido brings in gold! But the imperialist world order, its legal system and interpretations, and diplomatic deals are once again exposed, and the trust many countries keep on masters are eroding.
Farooque Chowdhury writes from Dhaka.
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