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Reports Indicate Venezuela Is Preparing to Liquidate the Petro
16.6.2023
According to reports, the government of Venezuela could be winding down the operations of the petro cryptocurrency. The decision comes after Sunacrip, the Venezuelan cryptocurrency watchdog, was set back by the alleged participation of its former head Joselit Ramirez in a potential $20 billion...
Lula Proposes to Revitalize South America Union USAN; Reinforces Need of Shifting Away From US Dollar
1.6.2023
Luiz Inacio “Lula” Da Silva, President of Brazil, remarked on the need to retake South American integration mechanisms through the Union of South American Nations (USAN). Lula also proposed to shift away from the U.S. dollar by using a standard reference currency for bilateral...
Venezuela Seeks to Regain Control of More Than $1.8 Billion in Gold After Interim Government Dissolves
25.5.2023
The government of Venezuela is seeking to regain control of more than $1.8 billion in gold deposited in the vaults of the Bank of England. Officials of Maduro’s government appealed to the London Court of Appeals that the destitution of Juan Guaido, the former interim president, could affect...
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...
How Crypto Ended Up at the Center of a Potential $20 Billion Internal Corruption Scandal in Venezuela — Bitcoin Mining Shutdown Results
24.3.2023
The establishment of sanctions by the Trump administration towards PDVSA, the state oil company in Venezuela, reportedly forced the hand of the government in the country to find alternative means of payment for crude oil. According to reports, more than $3 billion are missing from these payments...
Venezuela’s Maduro Purges Crypto Offices of ‘Mafia’ Influences – ‘Hundreds’ Arrested
22.3.2023
Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro says he has “purged mafia influences” from his government’s crypto regulators – after overseeing the arrest of one of his former right-hand men.
Earlier this week, Maduro green-lighted the arrest of Joselit Ramírez, the head of the Superintendencia Nacional...
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....
Venezuelans reportedly hit by new Bitcoin tax of up to 20%
7.2.2022
Bitcoin adoption has been on the rise in Venezuela in recent years amid hyperinflation and the national currency crisis
Venezuela Slashes Six Zeroes off Its Currency, Bolivar Keeps Losing Ground Against the Dollar
4.10.2021
The Central Bank Of Venezuela applied the announced redenomination plan for the national fiat currency, the bolivar on October 1. This redenomination implied slashing six zeroes from the currency, to make payments and currency handling easier, according to earlier statements. However, just hours...
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...