In a criminal ruling on 20 December, Britain’s Supreme Court recognised as the owner of $1.8bn of gold held in the Bank of England’s vaults, not the legitimate socialist government of Venezuela, but rather the discredited opposition ‘interim president’, Juan Guaido – the failed puppet of US imperialism. In its ruling, the court recognised that the British government ‘unequivocally’ recognised Guaido – a stooge who now holds no elected position and no legitimacy within the country, even amongst the fractured opposition – as Venezuela’s head of state. This is utter piracy and runs roughshod over the rights of millions of Venezuelan people who elected Nicolas Maduro President of Venezuela in 2018 with 67% of the vote. Imperialist Britain sees fit to lecture the world on ‘fundamental values’, yet from Afghanistan to Bolivia, Kenya to Venezuela, demonstrates nothing but contempt for democracy, especially exercised by poor people in former colonies, demanding control over their resources. The ruling sends a warning message to any of the 30 countries whose central banks store gold bullion in the Bank of England’s vaults – ‘Britain is a rogue state, step out of line, oppose Rule Britannia and we will confiscate your gold.’
The facts are crystal clear: the Bank of England has stolen billions worth of bullion, supporting a US-led regime of sanctions designed to ‘make the economy scream’. Venezuela demands the gold be transferred to the UN for Covid-19 vaccines and imports of food and medicine. This is not just theft, this is murder. 85% of medicines in Venezuela are in short supply, millions can’t get the life-saving cancer or diabetes treatment they need, millions more are deprived of vaccines for meningitis, malaria and measles as well as Covid-19. The case will now be referred back to the commercial court to rubber-stamp the decision to overrule Venezuela’s Supreme Tribunal of Justice, who declared Guaido’s efforts to gain control of the assets unlawful.
Who gives Britain the right to decide who to recognise as the head of a foreign state? Britain’s position is increasingly internationally isolated and built on sand. In a crucial United Nations General Assembly vote on 6 December, 177 nations voted to recognise Nicolas Maduro as the only legitimate representative of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. After swearing himself in as ‘interim president’ in 2019, Juan Guaido has no embassy staff in Britain and holds no elected position in Venezuela. Three years of farcical coup attempts, corruption scandals and unpopular calls for further sanctions and intervention has led the majority of the Venezuela opposition to reject him. Guaido’s fictional ‘interim presidency’ is over. Even his recently resigned ‘foreign minister’ Julio Borges has demanded the illegitimate Guaido administration ‘disappear completely’. We emphatically agree.
We stand with the Venezuelan Foreign Minister Felix Plasencia who declared the United Nations vote a ‘resounding victory for international law and a slap in the face of imperialist interference and aggression’ and a ‘dose of reality for those who persist in giving oxygen to a dying political fantasy’.
The Revolutionary Communist Group fully supports Venezuela’s sovereignty and the Bolivarian revolution’s 20-year resistance to imperial exploitation. We unequivocally oppose British imperialism’s war against the Bolivarian Revolution and its support for US-sponsored ‘regime change’. We will continue to organise in the streets to defend Venezuela’s right to resist. Return the gold to Venezuela – No sanctions, no coup – Hands off Venezuela – Solidarity with the Bolivarian revolution!
