Venezuela will strengthen relations with the United Kingdom with “respect for sovereignty”

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza received Thursday the new British Chargé d’Affaires, Rebecca Buckingham, to “strengthen relations” between the two countries “within the framework of respect for sovereignty”.

“Arreaza received the Chargé d’Affaires of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Rebecca Buckingham, to strengthen bilateral relations within the framework of respect for sovereignty and international law,” wrote the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on its Twitter account.

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Buckingham was already received on August 5 by the Deputy Foreign Minister for Europe, Yvan Gil, who reiterated the will of the Caribbean country to maintain diplomatic channels with the United Kingdom.

The United Kingdom maintains its support for the oppositionist Juan Guaidó, whom it recognizes as interim president of Venezuela, although pressure has grown for him to define his next steps with the government of Nicolás Maduro.

After recognizing Guaidó, then leader of the National Assembly as president in charge of Venezuela in January 2019, the United Kingdom, in line with the United States, created a controversial “Venezuela Reconstruction Unit” with the alleged mission of advancing its interests in the face of a possible regime change in Caracas.

At the heart of the relations between the two countries is the open litigation in the British courts about Venezuela’s gold deposited in the Bank of England, access to which is claimed by both Maduro and Guaidó.

Who the British government recognizes as president in Venezuela is an important element for the British courts to resolve which of the two sides can access the gold reserves, valued at almost 2 billion dollars, deposited in the Bank of England, as well as 120 million dollars of a swap executed by Deutsche Bank.

James Eadie, the legal advisor to the British Foreign Office, confirmed last July the “clear and unambiguous” position that Boris Johnson’s government recognizes only Guaidó as head of the state of Venezuela and his powers to act as such.