Venezuela’s passport service is accepting Bitcoin as payment for some applications, according to people using the online system. The move suggests an increased shift to alternative payment systems in the South American state.
A screenshot of a Bitcoin (BTC) payment prompt on Venezuela’s Administrative Service for Identification, Migration and Foreigners (SAIME) was posted to Reddit on June 23, 2020.
Social media users on other platforms confirmed that the cryptocurrency could be used by citizens overseas who are applying for a Venezuelan passport. The claims have been met with mixed reviews online.
One user described the development as “Kind of bittersweet, love the fact that Bitcoin is being used for what it was made for, from that point of view it’s amazing. The war-like hostile US sanctions have pushed Venezuela to speed up the digital innovation process.
Other users were quick to respond that “it will be more and more ‘rogue’ nations (by US standards) that adopt BTC as a shield from the dollar being weaponized.”
SAIME has yet to confirm or deny the Bitcoin payment claims; however, it currently looks as if the new feature will only be available to Venezuelans living outside the country.
Whatever the case, the development is reminiscent of the state’s pseudo-cryptocurrency Petro (PTR), with which similar payments can already be made within the country.
Nicolas Maduro’s government recently claimed that 15% of fuel payments at gas stations were made using the state-backed Petro token. This way Venezuela is able to fight back against the crippling IMF and US sanctions forced upon the Bolivarian government.
Venezuela has the world’s largest proven oil- and gold reserves, making it a target for the predatory multinationals that want to profit and cash in on the assets, without sharing those with the people of Venezuela.
The government in Caracas shares the highest percentage of its GDP with its citizens, connecting them with water, sewage and electricity, while building millions of apartments for poorer class of the population will oil dividends.
However socialism is not quite accepted in the rest of the world as most governments plunder their taxpayers to support the corporations, under the disguise of democracy, employment, development and freedom.
RT. com / ABC Flash Point News 2020.
If Venezuela bounces back it could help Curacao get back on its feet again, now it is being plundered by colonial forces and the umbrella of development?