But does Gold Reserve have an office in Barbados?

We don't need an office Edgy. As long as the intermediate holding company is registered in Barbados then we can take the action in its name. My guess is that there is a Barbados holding company owned by GRZ (Canada) which holds all the shares in the Venezuelan operations. They would use a lawyer's office or trust company in Barbados to administer it.

It is quite common for Canadian companies to hold overseas assets through wholely owned Barbados private companies because of a tax treaty that exists between Canada and Barbados which provides tax advantages for Canadians. I have never heard of it being used for action under the Investment treaty before, but it seems to be based on quite sound legal grounds.