Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro announced the reorganization of the National Cryptocurrency Assets Authority, known as Sunacrip in Spanish, in accordance with a decree issued on March 17.
The reorganization will be led by a new board led by Anabel Pereira Fernandez, a lawyer who served as president of the Fondo de Garantía de Depositos y Protección Bancaria (FOGADE), the Venezuelan version of the US Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). Other directors include Hector Andrés Obregon Pérez, Luis Alberto Pérez González and Julio Cesar Mora Sánchez.
Without providing any further details, the decree states that the board of directors will plan the next steps for the cryptocurrency department. Although no specific reasons for the reorganization are given, Maduro’s administration says the move is intended to protect the country’s citizens from the negative effects of economic sanctions.
The new board structure does not include Joselit Ramirez, who has led the department since its inception in 2018. According to Venezuelan local media, Ramirez was arrested on March 17 on corruption charges. Ramirez oversaw the cryptocurrency taxation rules and the Petro cryptocurrency in the country.
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In June 2020, the US added Ramirez to its list of most wanted criminals. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Division of Homeland Security Investigations has placed a reward of up to $5 million for any information that could lead to the capture of Chief Petro.
At the time, authorities claimed that Ramirez had “deep political, social and economic ties” with suspected drug lords, including Tarek El Aissami, a former vice president of Venezuela.
Ramirez’s bounty was the smallest among the alleged accomplices, with the US government offering $15 million for the capture of President Nicolas Maduro. Several other senior officials, including El Aissami, will receive a $10 million reward.
