Four years ago, the UK government recognised Juan Guaidó as Venezuela’s president. He’s now gone, but the Bank of England is still holding some of the country’s key assets. JOHN McEVOY Part 4 - The legal battle The UK’s recognition of Guaidó triggered a protracted legal battle over the gold. In May 2020, the Maduro government sued the Bank of England over its refusal to release the gold. The issue then moved to the courts, centring on whether the UK government recognised Guaidó, and if the Bank of England could therefore act on instructions from his “ad-hoc board” of the Central Bank of Venezuela. Throughout this time, the UK government consistently supported Guaidó’s case by emphasising its recognition of him. In 2020, for instance, the Foreign Office provided a written certificate to the courts to confirm that the UK still “ recognises Juan Guaido as the constitutional interim President of Venezuela ”. In 2021, the Foreign Office even acquired the services of Sir James Eadie QC