VENEZUELA

On October 4, the Executive branch announced that the country is to enter the stage of easing economic activities until Sunday, October 11. The measure enables 24 sectors of the economy to operate during restricted hours, such as banking, transport services and supermarkets. Maduro explained that this new phase aims to reduce the number of COVID-19 cases to a minimum.

Meanwhile, a UK appeals court overturned a July ruling preventing Maduro from accessing a Venezuelan government gold reserve at the Bank of England, valued at more than USD 1 billion. The court based its decision on the British government’s ambiguity regarding Venezuela’s political situation.

While the Prime Minister’s Office recognizes National Assembly President Juan Guaidó as the acting President of Venezuela, it actually pursues diplomatic relations with Maduro’s appointed ambassador. Therefore, the British Judiciary is set to start an investigation in the coming weeks to determine whether the funds belong to Maduro or to Guaidó.