The Venezuelan government has decided to support the distinguished former employees of the state oil company PDVSA and pay them a bonus in the national cryptocurrency Petro.
According to local newspaper Banca y Negocios, since December 23, a group of retirees of the Venezuelan oil company PDVSA for special services to the enterprise began to receive a Christmas bonus of 2 PTR, which is 516.56 Venezuelan bolivars (more than $ 112).
Seniors will receive this bonus as a Christmas present through the Motherland platform. PDVSA workers are now retired on a well-deserved retirement and receive a monthly allowance of one minimum wage of 7 bolivars and a two-month bonus of 14 bolivars.
Despite the activity associated with trading in oil on exchanges, its export to other countries is severely limited by US sanctions. The economic crisis is growing in the country, so pensioners intend to use the received cryptocurrency to buy goods and pay for services.
However, former PDVSA employees are not happy with this decision, as they continue to claim funds from the oil company’s once viable pension fund. Millions of dollars were invested in this fund, but the funds were squandered.
Retirees protesting in front of the PDVSA headquarters in La Campigna say they should be given a $ 600 a month pension, and they regard the bonus as a “handout.” The Venezuelan authorities, in turn, are confident that this is good support for PDVSA retirees. In their opinion, the state budget should not have assumed assistance to former employees, since a company fund existed to pay pensions.
Venezuela, like other developing countries in South and Latin America, is very loyal to cryptocurrencies. Last month, a Venezuelan governor candidate offered scholarships to study cryptocurrencies. In October, the Simon Bolivar International Airport of Maiketia in Venezuela announced that it would accept DASH, BTC and the state-owned cryptocurrency Petro to pay for flights. Even earlier, the Central Bank of Venezuela announced the denomination of the bolivar and the launch of the state digital currency.
