The two rival presidents’ will have to wait until the second half of 2021 for the Supreme Court to decide who the UK government recognizes as the “de facto” president. The Maduro controlled Central Bank of Venezuela has been trying to recover gold valued at $1bn stored in the Bank of England but Guaido’s administration asked the UK not to hand over the gold. In July 2020, a UK High Court ruled in favour of the opposition but the ruling was annulled in October 2020 by the Court of Appeal on the ground that if the Foreign Minister Jeremy Hunt’s statement recognizing Guaido as interim president of Venezuela implied “de jure” recognition, the “de facto” isn’t straightforward.
London already announced it won’t recognized the new National Assembly after the 4th December parliamentary elections boycotted by most of the opposition and Guaido instead organized a referendum asking Venezuelan if they want Maduro out and if they approve more international sanctions to keep increasing pressure on Maduro’ administration.