Behind the UK’s seizure of Venezuelan gold valued at more than $1,200 million will be the former UK Secretary of State for America, Alan Duncan, who used his contacts at the Bank of England so that the gold could reach Venezuela.
Duncan’s interests in Venezuela focus on Venezuelan oil, “Duncan was a staunch opponent of the leftist Maduro government, and in his role as Minister for the Americas; he was closely involved in the development of the UK government’s policy toward Venezuela,” says an article in Declassified UK.
The transcript said Duncan met informally with Vitol’s director, Russell Hardy, the Dutch energy and raw materials trading company “to gather information on Venezuelan oil while designing British policy to overthrow the country’s government”.
The conversation only became public knowledge when Duncan applied to the UK government for permission to take up a paid job at Vitol after leaving his position.
“Tell Carney I fully appreciate that although it is the bank’s decision, he needs us to do a political hedge. I tell him I will write him the strongest letter he can receive through the lawyers [del Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores], which will identify growing doubts about Maduro’s legitimacy and make clear that many countries no longer consider him president,” was part of what the article revealed.
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