Maria Corina Machado, one of the opposition leaders who announced that she did not recognise the election won by Maduro in Venezuela, gave an interview to Bitcoin Magazine. Machado said Bitcoin is vital for Venezuelans and is a tool to get rid of inflation.

“14 zeros added to our currency”

Stating that 14 zeros were added to their money due to the mismanagement during the Hugo Chavez and Nicolas Maduro periods and that inflation exceeded 1 million per cent in 2018, Machado said:

“In our country, financial rights, like human rights, were taken away from the people. For a while, the Venezuelan Bolivar was fixed between 3-4 units against the dollar. However, after that, 14 zeros were added to our currency, so we actually lost 14 zeros in value. We had catastrophic financial crises. In 2018, inflation rose above 1 million. People had to leave their countries. Bitcoin bypasses government-imposed exchange rates and helps many of our people… It has evolved from a humanitarian tool to a vital means of resistance.”

“It should be added to the national reserve”

Machado also stated that Bitcoin should join the national reserves and said, “We envision Bitcoin as part of our national reserves, helping rebuild what the dictatorship stole.” she said.

As will be remembered, in the summer, Donald Trump also pledged that if elected president, they would add Bitcoin to the US national reserves. The US Department of Justice currently holds more than 200 thousand Bitcoins, and the ministry sells these BTCs from time to time. Trump said he also opposed these sales.