Chavez takes back the gold (but why?)

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez signed a decree ordering the Central Bank to bring back gold deposited at the Bank of England and other banks in America, England, Canada and Switzerland. Of the 345 tons of gold owned by Venezuela, as many as 211 were deposited abroad, and will now gradually be repatriated to be kept in the vaults of the Banco Central de Venezuela. The ratio of the provision is difficult to decipher, but the same can be said of other extemporaneous decisions of this difficult president. It can be a way of saying to Western countries 'I don't trust you', or it can be a way of removing gold held abroad from judicial seizure following unfavorable court decisions (Venezuela is involved in many international arbitrations ). Or, more simply, with the price of gold continuing to rise, Chavez may have thought that these tons are best kept close and close.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-08-18/chavez-emptying-bank-of-england-vault-as-venezuela-brings-back-gold-hoard.html