Argentine President Javier Milei distanced himself from the controversy surrounding the cryptocurrency $LIBRA in an interview with the TN channel. The president stated that while he disseminated information about the 'Viva la Libertad Project,' he did not directly promote the cryptocurrency and rejected taking responsibility for the losses suffered by investors after the asset's collapse.
In a message posted on his social media account last Friday, February 14, Milei echoed the project, which caused the value of the cryptocurrency to rise. However, after a subsequent mass sell-off of holdings by a group of investors, the price plummeted, leaving more than 40,000 people with losses exceeding $4 billion.
In response to this situation, four Argentine political leaders filed a criminal complaint against President Milei. Amid the controversy, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro criticized Milei for his alleged involvement in the 'crypto fiasco,' accusing him of being a 'crypto scammer' with a 'criminal record' in Argentina and worldwide.
Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek William Saab stated that his institution has the authority to investigate Milei's actions, indicating that he may have harmed Venezuelan citizens. Additionally, there is a preventive detention order issued by a Venezuelan court last September for alleged crimes such as illicit association, fraud, and failure to fulfill public official duties, involving other Argentine figures like Karina Milei and Patricia Bullrich.
In response to the accusations, Milei has denied any illegal activity and maintains his position of detachment from the consequences triggered by the cryptocurrency collapse.
