Report: Maduro permits to buy petro for Russian rubles

MEXICO CITY, Mar 23 (PRIME) -- Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has authorized purchases of the country’s newly issued cryptocurrency, called the petro, for Russian rubles, among other currencies, the president said on Friday during a local television broadcast.

All households and companies can buy the petro on a special page in the Internet for the yuan, the ruble, the Turkish lira, and the euro, as well as for other cryptocurrencies, such as the bitcoin, the ethereum, and the nem, Maduro said.

Russian companies were named by the president among those willing to buy the petro, along with firms from 133 countries, including Argentina, China, Germany, and the U.S.

The petro, issued on February 20, has already collected almost 201,000 bids worth U.S. $5.25 billion.

End