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Venezuela is still in the grips of a political uprising, as opposition leader Juan Guaido has claimed power from incumbent Nicolas Maduro backed by a number of countries and international organisations. The Venezuelan economy was a core motivator for the power struggle, as the country's currency the Bolivar is in record hyperinflation. Jose Guerra, a former economist and current lawmaker, said a Russian Boeing 777 which landed in the country was there to carter off 20 tonnes of gold. This is 20 percent of Venezuela's metal holdings, and Guerra has provided no evidence of how he knew this.

Venezuela gold: 20 tons of GOLD BARS shipped out of Venezuela on Boeing 777 - location UNKOWN

While Guerra's information could be easily dismissed as an attempt to draw attention to the country's plight, he does have some authority as an economist.

His claims have been confirmed by someone with direct knowledge of the matter, who informed Bloomberg news of the move.

The gold is worth $840 million, according to the insider.

Guerra later tweeted: "I want to make explicit that the BCV (Central Bank of Venezuela) is empowered to do operations with gold: Sell, pledge or swap.

"But the country has a right to know what type of transaction it is to assess whether it is suitable for the country."