[2017-03-13]Venezuelan Bitcoin Miners Bribed and Thrown in Jail by Secret Police

[TwoTimes]

Over the past few months, officials in Venezuela have been cracking down on underground Bitcoin mining operations within the country. According to various reports, Venezuela’s secret police has been coercing Bitcoin miners for bribes or they would otherwise be thrown into jail if they don’t pay the extortion.

This past November, two brothers from Caracas operating a Bitcoin mining operation were raided by the country’s secret police (Sebin). According to the brothers’ reports, officers ordered them to pay $1,000 for every mining machine they owned. The brothers, who wished to remain anonymous, stated that they had paid the police to keep mining. Nevertheless, miners in Venezuela are being caught more often because the state’s power corporation is finding mining operations consuming 20 times the electricity used in a traditional home.

Read More Here: https://news.bitcoin.com/venezuelan-bitcoin-miners-bribed-thrown-jail-secret-police/

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[coolcoinz]

officers ordered them to pay $1,000 for every mining machine they owned. This is a simple extortion. They should get cameras inside the facility and give the footage to the media.
There has to be someone in there who fights corruption, especially one in the law enforcement. And what if they are consuming more electricity than the average, so does a machine shop of any sort and they are paying for it! Are server rooms also supposed to pay bribes in Venezuela?

[cr1776]

officers ordered them to pay $1,000 for every mining machine they owned. This is a simple extortion. They should get cameras inside the facility and give the footage to the media.
There has to be someone in there who fights corruption, especially one in the law enforcement. And what if they are consuming more electricity than the average, so does a machine shop of any sort and they are paying for it! Are server rooms also supposed to pay bribes in Venezuela?

It is a "socialist paradise" where the rule of law is non-existent.  The remaining media has to follow the government's orders.  Extortion there is a quaint idea left over from the pre-Chavez era, now that they've been in the "something for nothing", "someone else is going to pay for it" era for 2+ decades they are reaping the fruits.  In authoritarian states that provide "free" electricity, "free" health care etc they can do whatever they want.

[Papa Bear]

Things like this which resulted in the difficulty of legalizing Bitcoin government in Venezuela, but it was not without reason, because the mining operation more profitable than working for the bolivar.

[Carlton Banks]

How there be no rule of law, in a country where the media follow the government's orders, or where the authoritarian state does whatever it wants  

It is a "socialist paradise" where the rule of law is non-existent.  

The remaining media has to follow the government's orders.  

In authoritarian states that provide "free" electricity, "free" health care etc they can do whatever they want.

Not to mention, Venezuelans are having their passports confiscated and their passport applications denied, en masse. Sounds like they have an incredibly unyielding and powerful rule of law to me.

When you say "no rule of law", I think maybe you mean "no moral code", which is most definitely not the same thing

[just_Alice]

Over the past few months, officials in Venezuela have been cracking down on underground Bitcoin mining operations within the country. According to various reports, Venezuela’s secret police has been coercing Bitcoin miners for bribes or they would otherwise be thrown into jail if they don’t pay the extortion.

This past November, two brothers from Caracas operating a Bitcoin mining operation were raided by the country’s secret police (Sebin). According to the brothers’ reports, officers ordered them to pay $1,000 for every mining machine they owned. The brothers, who wished to remain anonymous, stated that they had paid the police to keep mining. Nevertheless, miners in Venezuela are being caught more often because the state’s power corporation is finding mining operations consuming 20 times the electricity used in a traditional home.

Read More Here: https://news.bitcoin.com/venezuelan-bitcoin-miners-bribed-thrown-jail-secret-police/

Too bad that the Venezuelan Government doesn't understand that it would be better for the country if they don't fight but support Bitcoin.

They say:

... mining operations consuming 20 times the electricity used in a traditional home.

So what? Just charge them for the electricity consumption, don't jail them.

[cr1776]

How there be no rule of law, in a country where the media follow the government's orders, or where the authoritarian state does whatever it wants  

It is a "socialist paradise" where the rule of law is non-existent.  

The remaining media has to follow the government's orders.  

In authoritarian states that provide "free" electricity, "free" health care etc they can do whatever they want.

Not to mention, Venezuelans are having their passports confiscated and their passport applications denied, en masse. Sounds like they have an incredibly unyielding and powerful rule of law to me.

When you say "no rule of law", I think maybe you mean "no moral code", which is most definitely not the same thing

I think the difference is between an objective rule of law and what they have being a rule of some totalitarian thug's whim which depends on the direction of the wind.

[Carlton Banks]

I think the difference is between an objective rule of law and what they have being a rule of some totalitarian thug's whim which depends on the direction of the wind.

I have bad news. There is no objective rule of law.


Law is a substitute for both morality and boundaries.

No two people have the same moral values, there is typically some overlap, but never the same. Religion exploited this by promoting universal morality, which doesn't exist unless it is prosecuted centrally.

Boundaries are really just a conceptualisation of territory and property, a purely animal concept (and thus important from the perspective of animals, such as we are). All the law does is provide a monopolistic, overwhelming force to both protect and deny boundaries (sometimes referred to erroneously as "rights") based on short-term political goals.


There is no objective rule of law, just animals playing with abstract concepts that help them win or maintain access to resources.