Venezuela’s Petro Cryptocurrency: A Failed Experiment
The Venezuelan government’s ambitious project, the petro cryptocurrency, has ended abruptly. The petro, once heralded as a groundbreaking solution to circumvent US financial sanctions, has failed in its mission and fallen victim to a major corruption scandal. With great expectations, the petro was launched in 2018, touted as a digital currency backed by Venezuela’s abundant oil reserves. However, the initiative was suspended on January 15, signaling the end of a controversial chapter in Venezuela’s economic history. This decision has had little impact on citizens like Isabela, whose elderly parents received meager petro pensions. The impracticality of the currency, which had to be