UK recognition of Venezuelan opposition leader would ‘breach international law’

The UK Government recognising Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido as head of state would be “unlawful under international law”, the High Court has heard. Lawyers representing the board of Banco Central de Venezuela (BCV) appointed by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said such a “premature” step would be “an impermissible intervention in the affairs of Venezuela”. The claim was made during a legal battle over the fate of around one billion US dollars (£800 million) of gold bullion held in the vaults of the Bank of England (BoE) on behalf of the BCV, which the Maduro regime says it wants to sell to help tackle the country’s coronavirus...