Economics

Venezuela Central Bank Confronts Growing Discontent

  • Tensions at monetary authority on rise amid political standoff
  • Some staff were presented early retirement offers on Friday
Bolivarian National Police stand guard during a protest against President Nicolas Maduro in the Los Ruices neighborhood of Caracas on Jan. 30, 2019.Photographer: Carlos Becerra/Bloomberg
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As Nicolas Maduro struggles to hold onto power and speculation swirls that the regime is trying plunder Venezuela’s gold reserves, the crisis is also playing out within the halls of the central bank itself: staffers are waging a small mutiny and refusing to sign-off on key bank transactions.

Some staff members received early retirement offers Friday after disregarding orders from upper management, according to four people with direct knowledge of the matter. Tensions inside the bank are brewing, as staffers fret about potential repercussions of signing off on certain operations and discontent bubbles over as Venezuela’s economic and political outlook deteriorates.