-
Maria Zakharova slams UK banks for illegally locking out billions that belong to Venezuela and Libya

According to the TASS, spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova wrote in her Telegram channel on Monday Assets worth billions of dollars that belong to Venezuela and Libya continue to be illegally held in British banks.
The diplomat drew attention to the recent news that lawyers representing Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido were going to contend the ownership of Venezuela’s gold worth almost one billion dollars that is currently kept in a London bank.
At the same time, Zakharova noted that London had issued another statement not so long ago recognizing Guaido as "the only president of Venezuela".
She pointed out "If we were talking about a detective series, then this ‘coincidence’ would be described as ‘premeditated actions of certain persons conspiring for their personal gain."
She added, "It is clear that we are talking about big money, in the equivalent of gold no less."
The diplomat stressed that the true side in court was represented by the Venezuelan Central Bank, who sought to get the gold returned (amounting to about 15% of the country’s currency reserves) to fund the fight against COVID-19.
She lamented, "But the British government does not care one bit that Caracas needs this money to counter the coronavirus
Zakharova pointed out that British banks had been also locking away assets that belong to the late Muammar Gaddafi and his family.
She stressed "In line with the UNSC Resolution 1973 adopted on March 17, 2011, the assets that belonged to the Gaddafi family and his closest entourage kept in banks outside of Libya were frozen. Muammar Gaddafi was then killed, and it is still unclear, what happened to the accounts of Libya’s former leader."
"Media reports suggest that more than 12 billion pounds were frozen in the UK. These funds were initially supposed to be spent for the country’s post-conflict revival, but the money is still yet to make its way to ordinary Libyans."
According to the spokeswoman, London is considering partially unblocking these assets to give money to families, who were affected by terrorist attacks. "But it is all just words.
She concluded, the truth is that billions of dollars that belong to other people continue to remain in British banks illegally."
Source: TASS
Image source: TASS
You May Also Like
Popular Posts
Caricature
BENEFIT Sponsors BuildHer...
- April 23, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”
opinion
Report
ads
Newsletter
Subscribe to our mailing list to get the new updates!