“Starmer should listen to the growing global movement for international justice, give Venezuela back its gold and take a step to righting these historic wrongs.”
- Jess Barnard
By the Venezuela Solidarity Campaign
Over 13,000 people have now signed a petition urging the UK to give back over 30 tonnes of Venezuelan gold to Venezuela, which is currently being held in the Bank of England, despite the Latin American nation requesting its return. The Gold currently has a value of £3.5bn (or US $4.74 bn.)
The surge in support for the petition, initiated by the Venezuela Solidarity Campaign, comes at a time when leading figures in the Venezuelan Government and civil society have called for the gold to be returned as part of international campaigning for assets to be returned to the country and sanctions to be lifted. Currently, over 1000 economic sanctions remain on Venezuela – deeply damaging its economy, and with severe human consequences.
Leading figures from Britain’s peace, trade union and progressive movements have welcomed the campaign and added their support to the call for the gold to be returned.
Gawain Little, General Secretary of the General Federation of Trade Unions, said, “Britain’s complicity in illegal economic warfare against Venezuela must come to an end. It is time for Britain to hand back illegally seized Venezuelan gold.
We need an independent foreign policy based on peace and respect for international law.”
Jess Barnard, international solidarity campaigner and Labour Party NEC member (pc), added, “It’s long overdue that Britain respects sovereignty in Latin America. With Trump ramping up attacks on countries across the global south, Starmer should listen to the growing global movement for international justice, give Venezuela back its gold and take a step to righting these historic wrongs.”
Lindsey German, Convenor of the Stop the War Coalition, commented that “Starmer has refused to condemn Trump’s illegal regime change by kidnapping Venezuela’s head of state, along with the brazen theft of millions of barrels of the country’s oil, and is utterly complicit in it by holding on to the tonnes of illegally seized Venezuelan gold in the coffers of the Bank of England. I absolutely welcome and support VSC’s campaign to demand the UK hand it back.”
Francisco Dominguez, Secretary of the Venezuela Solidarity Campaign, argued that “With the corrupt Guaido out of the picture, there’s no legal, let alone ‘moral’ (if there ever was) reason for the UK to hold on to Venezuela’s 31 tons of gold under custody in the Bank of England. Hence, the growing outcry demanding PM Starmer returns them to their rightful owners: the government and people of Venezuela.”
- You can sign VSC’s petition calling for Venezuela’s gold to be returned here.
- You can follow the Venezuela Solidarity Campaign on Facebook and Twitter/X.
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