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Latam Insights — Venezuela’s Maduro States De-Dollarization Is ‘Inevitable,’ Argentina Raises Interest Rates to Close to 100%
23.5.2023
Welcome to Latam Insights, a compendium of the most relevant crypto and economic development news from Latin America during the last week. In this issue, Venezuela makes a push for de-dollarization, the Central Bank of Argentina raises interest rates to close to 100%, and Brazil breaks the U.S....
SWIFT Data Shows Despite De-Dollarization Push, US Dollar Is Still the King of International Settlements
22.5.2023
The share of the U.S. dollar usage for international payments has risen to 42.71% in April, despite the push of some countries towards de-dollarization. The dollar remains the most used currency in international settlements, with the euro taking second place according to data from the Society...
Venezuela’s President Declares Inevitable Shift Away From US Dollar in De-Dollarization Push
19.5.2023
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has announced that Venezuela will shift away from using U.S. dollars in trade, emphasizing that the de-dollarization process is “inevitable.” He described: “This is the path of Venezuela and the path of a free economy where currencies are not used...
Head of Venezuelan Crypto Watchdog Sunacrip Arrested on Alleged Corruption Charges; Institution to Face Restructuring
21.3.2023
Joselit Ramirez, head of the Venezuelan cryptocurrency authority Sunacrip, was arrested on March 18, according to reports from local media. Ramirez, who led the institution from its creation in 2018, was arrested for being allegedly involved in corruption schemes, including the embezzlement of...
Brazil and Argentina to Start Working on Creation of Latam Common Currency
24.1.2023
Brazil and Argentina are looking to begin work on the issuance of a common currency. Sergio Massa, minister of the economy of Argentina, also stated that the two countries will be inviting other nations in the area to join this economic integration project in the future. Brazil and Argentina...
Disputed Venezuelan Gold Worth $1.8B in Bank of England Vaults Remains Uncertain After Dissolution of Interim Government
2.1.2023
The status of the Venezuelan gold currently being held by the Bank of England might fall into regulatory limbo after the dissolution of the interim government of Juan Guaido. The 31 tons of gold have been the subject of dispute between the current president Nicolas Maduro and Juan Guaido since...
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro Signals Support for Single Currency in Latam, Calls for Crypto Inclusion
22.11.2022
Nicolas Maduro, president of Venezuela, has expressed his support for the adoption of a new common currency for Latam in the latest meeting of the Workgroup of the Sao Paolo Forum. Maduro stated that this would be an important step for the construction of a common economic space, that would also...
Relaunch of USAN — the Union of South American Nations — in Latam Profiles New Monetary Integration
16.11.2022
A proposal for relaunching the currently defunct USAN, the Union of South American Nations, profiles a future monetary integration amongst the countries of the organization. The proposal, made by several former presidents of countries in Latam, reinforces the need for regional integration...
Nicolas Maduro Tempts West With an Abundance of Oil and Gas, Venezuelan President Wants Sanctions Lifted
25.9.2022
Amid the economic rumblings across the world and the energy crisis in Europe, Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro has said his country is ready to step up and help with oil. Despite the fact that Venezuela has the largest supply of crude oil in the world, U.S. economic sanctions imposed in 2019...
The Battle for the $2 Billion Venezuelan Gold Stash Continues, London Rules in Favor of Opposition Leader Guaido
31.7.2022
Her Majesty’s High Court of Justice in England has determined that the Venezuelan gold stored in the vaults of the Bank of England must be managed by officials of the Central bank of Venezuela designated by opposition leader Juan Guaido. The management of this gold stash, which is comprised...
Venezuelan Minimum Monthly Wage Not Pegged to the Petro, According to Official Gazette Decree
20.3.2022
The new decree that makes official the recently announced Venezuelan minimum monthly wage rise has been revealed in the Official Gazette, with no mention of its supposed peg to the petro, the national cryptocurrency. The law published mentions that the wage will be 130 VES, using the national fiat...
Venezuela Increases Minimum Monthly Wage to Half a Petro
7.3.2022
Nicolas Maduro, president of Venezuela, announced an increase in the minimum wage of workers in the country linked to the petro. In the II Workers’ Congress, Maduro revealed that the new value of the salary would be half a petro, the national cryptocurrency, which is now worth close to $59....
Venezuela’s Maduro Wants to Offer Crypto-Based Loans to Agricultural Producers
4.8.2021
Nicolas Maduro, president of Venezuela, stated the country could offer cryptocurrency-based loans to the agricultural sector, in addition to the traditional loans in several fiat currencies. He also stated that Venezuela has worked with petro and other cryptocurrencies for three years, pioneering...
Nicolas Maduro States Venezuela Pioneered Crypto Adoption in South America as Petro Use Flounders
22.6.2021
President Nicolas Maduro stated that Venezuela was a pioneer in cryptocurrency adoption in Latam in an interview with Bloomberg last week. Venezuela is still one of the first cryptocurrency volume movers in South America. However, the petro token, its official cryptocurrency, has failed to pick...
Venezuelan Minimum Wage Reaches $3 as More Venezuelans Take Refuge in Cryptocurrencies
5.5.2021
The president of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, approved a minimum wage raise increase last week that took it to three dollars monthly, a very low income for the citizens of the country that are facing a strong economic crisis since 2013. However, the crypto environment has been growing, and...
Venezuelan Programmer Who Created the Petro Token Regrets Participating in the Project — Works on an Alternative Token
29.4.2021
Venezuela’s government-backed cryptocurrency is not having the acceptance its cabinet expected, as the latest reports suggest. The petro’s creator, who now lives in exile, wants to build another crypto that gets the adoption its original creation did not in the nation. Jiménez...
Venezuelan President Maduro Promises 2021 Will Be the Year to Boost Usage of Petro
16.1.2021
The Venezuelan president, Nicolás Maduro, has claimed that 2021 will be the year of the state-backed petro (PTR) token. He also promised to boost a “100% national digital economy” agenda through a “complete digitalization process.” 77% of Trade Transactions in Venezuela...
Millions of Venezuelans Voted via Blockchain in an Unofficial Anti-Maduro Referendum
17.12.2020
An unofficial referendum pursued by the Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó took place over the weekend in Venezuela powered by a blockchain platform, while at the same time, parliamentary elections called by the president Nicolás Maduro also had its scenario in a widely criticized...
Venezuelan Government Signs Agreement to Establish Guidelines for Granting Licenses to Crypto Miners
11.12.2020
The National Superintendency of Crypto Assets (Sunacrip) and the National Electricity Corporation of Venezuela (Corpoelec) signed an agreement to establish guidelines to “improve the development” of bitcoin and other crypto mining activities across the country. Venezuelan Government...
Venezuelan Army Starts Mining Bitcoin for ‘Unblockable Income’
30.11.2020
The Venezuelan Army has inaugurated a cryptocurrency mining center with bitcoin mining equipment aimed at generating “unblockable income,” as the country attempts to bypass U.S. sanctions. The crypto mining center has the support of the country’s crypto regulator, Sunacrip....