Beautiful Virgin Islands

Wednesday, Aug 27, 2025

UK court rules on who Venezuela's president is, in row over gold

UK court rules on who Venezuela's president is, in row over gold

The Supreme Court has overturned a ruling that put into question London’s recognition of Juan Guaido as Venezuela’s head of state, putting the politician closer to taking control of almost $2bn in Venezuelan gold.
The Monday ruling is part of a court war which Guaido, the self-proclaimed ‘interim president’ of Venezuela, is waging against the country’s elected government over gold reserves put for safekeeping with the Bank of England.

An earlier ruling by an appeals court sided with the government in Caracas, stating that Guaido has no de facto power in Venezuela. Thus, his public recognition as the legitimate head of state by the British government was undermined by its implied recognition of the power that President Nicolas Maduro holds.

The Supreme Court’s five-judge panel overturned that decision, however, stating that the British government “had conclusively recognized Mr. Guaido as Venezuela’s head of state.”

The Supreme Court said the historic distinction of recognition by the British legal system of a government as ‘de jure’ and ‘de facto’ was “now unlikely to have any useful role to play before courts in this jurisdiction.” It added that “the Court of Appeal’s reliance on the outdated concepts of de jure and de facto recognition was … misplaced.”

The latest ruling means that Guaido’s appointments of the management of the Venezuelan Central Bank will be recognized as valid by British courts. The bank is the entity that has a say on what happens to the Venezuelan gold reserves stored in the UK.

However, the court stressed that its decision was narrow and did not opine on the validity of rulings by the Venezuelan Supreme Tribunal of Justice, which dismissed Guaido’s claim on leadership in the country as unconstitutional. It referred that matter to the Commercial Court.

Guaido, then leader of the opposition-controlled National Assembly, rejected the outcome of the 2018 election in Venezuela, accusing Maduro of rigging the ballot. He proclaimed himself as the legitimate leader of the nation, getting instant recognition and support from the Donald Trump administration and American allies, including the UK.

His multiple attempts to seize actual power in Caracas have all failed. Several people appointed to various ‘offices’ in the Guaido ‘government’ got entangled in various corruption scandals, while others jumped ship.

Earlier this month, the team was abandoned by Julio Borges, who served as Guaido’s ‘foreign minister.’ He lashed out at former colleagues, saying they have turned into a “caste” and that the self-proclaimed government should “disappear” when its supposed mandate expires in January.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Spotify’s Strange Move: The Feature Nobody Asked For – Returns
Manhunt in Australia: Armed Anti-Government Suspect Kills Police Officers Sent to Arrest Him
China Launches World’s Most Powerful Neutrino Detector
How Beijing-Linked Networks Shape Elections in New York City
Ukrainian Refugee Iryna Zarutska Fled War To US, Stabbed To Death
Elon Musk Sues Apple and OpenAI Over Alleged App Store Monopoly
2 Australian Police Shot Dead In Encounter In Rural Victoria State
Vietnam Evacuates Hundreds of Thousands as Typhoon Kajiki Strikes; China’s Sanya Shuts Down
UK Government Delays Decision on China’s Proposed London Embassy Amid Concerns Over Redacted Plans
A 150-Year Tradition to Be Abolished? Uproar Over the Popular Central Park Attraction
A new faith called Robotheism claims artificial intelligence isn’t just smart but actually God itself
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner Purchases Third Property Amid Housing Tax Reforms Debate
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Italian Facebook Group Sharing Intimate Images Without Consent Shut Down Amid Police Investigation
Dutch Foreign Minister Resigns Amid Deadlock Over Israel Sanctions
Trump and Allies Send Messages of Support to Ukraine on Independence Day Amid Ongoing Conflict
China Reels as Telegram Chat Group Shares Hidden-Camera Footage of Women and Children
Sam Nicoresti becomes first transgender comedian to win Edinburgh Comedy Award
Builders uncover historic human remains in Lancashire house renovation
Australia Wants to Tax Your Empty Bedrooms
MotoGP Cameraman Narrowly Avoids Pedro Acosta Crash at Hungarian Grand Prix
FBI Investigates John Bolton Over Classified Documents in High-Profile Raids
Report reveals OpenAI pitched national ChatGPT Plus subscription to UK ministers
Labour set to freeze income tax thresholds in long-term 'stealth' tax raid
Coca‑Cola explores sale of Costa coffee chain
Trial hears dog walker was chased and fatally stabbed by trio
Restaurateur resigns from government hospitality council over tax criticism
Spanish City funfair shut after serious ride injury
Suspected arson at Ilford restaurant leaves three in critical condition
Tottenham beat Manchester City to go top of Premier League
Bank holiday heatwave to hit 30°C before remnants of Hurricane Erin arrive
UK to deploy immigration advisers to West Africa to block fake visas
Nurse who raped woman continued working for a year despite police alert
Drought forces closures of England’s canal routes, canceling boat holidays
Sweet tooth scents: food-inspired perfumes surge as weight-loss drugs suppress appetites
Experts warn Britain dangerously reliant on imported food
Family of Notting Hill Carnival murder victim call event unmanageable
Bunkers, Billions and Apocalypse: The Secret Compounds of Zuckerberg and the Tech Giants
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
New York Appeals Court Voids Nearly $500 Million Civil Fraud Penalty Against Trump While Upholding Fraud Liability
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
Child-free hotels spark controversy
North Korea is where this 95-year-old wants to die. South Korea won’t let him go. Is this our ally or a human rights enemy?
Hong Kong Launches Regulatory Regime and Trials for HKD-Backed Stablecoins
China rehearses September 3 Victory Day parade as imagery points to ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 family presence
×