When the Petro was unveiled to the world by Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro, he led the cheering squad about what a groundbreaking and successful idea it would be. A government-backed, oil-pegged, cryptocurrency that would aid the ailing Venezuelan nation in their time of crisis with a hyper-inflated currency.
However, the pomp and promise of the Petro has quickly been dissected and seen through as the feeling coming from those in Venezuela, as well as those who have been exiled or left on their own accord, see the Petro as one big scam.
Maduro continues to plug and push his digital currency, inviting OPEC countries to join in and beginning the presale. But, as the rest of the world and especially the US, continue their tirade against it, it is important to see how it is going down among the Venezuelan community.
Trouble brewing
It is important to understand the political and socio-economic situation in Venezuela before delving into a purely financial and economic outlook, especially based around cryptocurrencies; state-backed or otherwise. Politically, it is very complicated, but essentially, there are two factions in Venezuela, the Chavistas, the name given to the followers of the socialist policies of the late President Hugo Chavez, and those who cannot wait to see an end to the 18 years in power of his United Socialist Party.
Maduro follows the socialist policies and the spirit of his predecessor but has not been able to hold sway like Chavez, leading to a bubbling undercurrent of discontent. Thus besides the economic collapse and hyperinflation, the country resides in permanent political crisis for several years. Many have reported on how this crisis has seen a stepping up in cryptocurrency usage to counteract the failing currency and also shown a boom in mining, but according to the those who are there or have witnessed the collapse, cryptocurrencies are only available for a small minority.
Limited crypto opportunity
Ostensibly there is a trend of support for the Petro. However, there are many who are calling this a paid-for propaganda campaign on platforms like Twitter. The hashtag #AlFuturoConElPetro, which means ‘To the Future With Petro’ has been used by governmental agencies and supporters alike, including the President.