MORE than 14,000 people have now signed a petition urging Britain to give back over 30 tonnes of Venezuelan gold to Venezuela.

The gold held at the Bank of England currently has a value of £3.5 billion.

Support for the petition, launched by the Venezuela Solidarity Campaign (VSC), has surged following devastating earthquakes in Venezuela that have killed at least 4,000 people and injured nearly 17,000.

Leeds East MP Richard Burgon, who has tabled an early day motion in Parliament calling for the gold’s release, said: “At a time of such profound human suffering, every available resource should be directed towards humanitarian relief and reconstruction in Venezuela.

“I therefore call on the government to take immediate steps to facilitate the release of Venezuela’s gold so that these resources can be used for reconstruction and the recovery of communities devastated by this disaster.”

Fellow MP Diane Abbott said: “Britain continues to illegally withhold the country’s gold reserves when all its resources are urgently needed.

“This scandal must end and the Bank of England must immediately return Venezuela’s gold.”

Hayes and Harlington MP John McDonnell said returning the gold would be “one of the most effective measures the UK government could undertake” to help Venezuela address both the immediate crisis and long-term reconstruction.

VSC’s Matt Willgress said: “The demand to give back the gold is finding growing support in Britain, just as the demand to end all inhumane sanctions is growing in the US and internationally.

“We must keep standing in solidarity with the people of Venezuela.”

The petition can be viewed at change.org.