No evidence gold from Venezuela coming into Guyana – VP Jagdeo

Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo has said that the authorities here have found no evidence that gold from Venezuela is coming into Guyana.

“There was a claim that gold from Venezuela was coming in…we’ve found no evidence of that,” Jagdeo told a news conference on Friday last.

The Guyana Gold and Board, is permitted by law to buy, sell and export gold.

There had been unverified reports that gold from Venezuelan is smuggled into Guyana and is sold to legitimate gold exporters here.

Towards the end of October last year, the Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat, had said the Guyana Gold Board (GGB) is investigating reports that gold from Venezuela is being smuggled through Guyana.

“As it is now, there is no substantial evidence to point to gold coming across the border from Venezuela,” Bharrat had said then.

The issue of Venezuelan gold being smuggled into Guyana was also raised in August of 2019 but no evidence was found to substantiate the claim.