Gold Reserve Inc. has history in mining dating back to 1956 and was formed for the purpose of acquiring, exploring and developing mining properties and placing them into production. The Company is currently primarily focused on collecting certain payments contemplated under the Settlement Agreement and executing the Mixed Company Agreement, both with Venezuela.
The Company maintains its executive/administrative office at 999 West Riverside Ave., Suite 401, Spokane, Washington 99201 USA, and is listed on the Toronto Venture Exchange (symbol: GRZ.V) and quoted on the OTCQX Markets Exchange (symbol: GDRZF). The Company employs 7 people in the United States.
Consistent with our long-term strategy, the Company in 1992 acquired and began developing what is now known as the Brisas gold and copper project, located in the historic Km 88 mining district of the State of Bolivar in southeastern Venezuela. From 1992 to 2009, the Company invested close to US $300 million in acquisition, land exploration, development, equipment, and engineering costs, developing the Brisas Project into what management believed was a world class mining project. In April 2008 the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela arbitrarily revoked the Authorization to Affect, eliminating the Company’s ability to exploit the Brisas Project.
In October 2009, Gold Reserve initiated a claim (the "Brisas Arbitration") under the Additional Facility Rules of the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (“ICSID”) of the World Bank. In September 2014, the ICSID Tribunal granted us an Award of $740.3 million. In July 2016, we signed a settlement agreement whereby Venezuela agreed to pay us $792 million to satisfy the Award and $240 million for the purchase of the Mining Data for a total of approximately $1.032 billion payable in monthly installments (the "Settlement Agreement") (See Brisas Arbitral Award).
As of April 2020, Venezuela has paid us $254 million pursuant to the Settlement Agreement. The remaining unpaid amount due from Venezuela pursuant to the Settlement Agreement, which is now delinquent, totals approximately $880 million (including interest of approximately $110 million).
Venezuela continues to experience substantial social, political and economic turmoil. The country's overall infrastructure, social services network and economy have generally collapsed. Further, certain non-Venezuelan countries (including the United States) currently recognize a temporary presidency and government with respect to the president of the National Assembly, Juan Guaidó, instead of Nicolás Maduro, resulting in a "dual" government. In addition, in March 2020, the U.S. Government indicted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and a number of key associates for drug trafficking.
The existing conditions in Venezuela, along with Sanctions, are expected to continue, in the foreseeable future, adversely impacting our ability to collect the remaining amount owed to us by Venezuela pursuant to the Settlement Agreement and/or Award and obstruct our ability to develop certain gold, copper, silver and other strategic mineral rights contained within Bolivar State comprising what is known as the Siembra Minera Project.
