{"id":193891,"date":"2021-06-29T05:00:32","date_gmt":"2021-06-29T04:00:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cryptoslate.com\/?p=193891"},"modified":"2021-06-28T16:12:38","modified_gmt":"2021-06-28T15:12:38","slug":"no-paraguay-is-not-legalizing-bitcoin-congressman-confirms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cryptoslate.com\/no-paraguay-is-not-legalizing-bitcoin-congressman-confirms\/","title":{"rendered":"No, Paraguay is NOT legalizing Bitcoin, Congressman confirms"},"content":{"rendered":"

A Paraguay official changed course on what was an unprecedented development in crypto circles: That of the Latin American country legalizing <\/span>Bitcoin<\/span><\/a> as legal tender on the back of a similar move in nearby <\/span>El Salvador<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

But the sentiment has now proven short-lived as Carlos Rejala, a Paraguayan congressman rectified the statement in an interview with <\/span>Reuters<\/span><\/i><\/a> over the weekend.<\/span><\/p>\n

Interested countries<\/b><\/h2>\n

El Salvador legalized Bitcoin last month in a now-historic move, becoming the first, and only, country in the world to lawfully accept BTC for the exchange of products and services rendered to citizens.<\/span><\/p>\n

President Nayib Bukele <\/span>urged fellow ministers from Latin America<\/span><\/a> to come up with their own iterations of a possible Bitcoin bill, one that moves away from centralized state currencies and towards decentralized alternatives like Bitcoin.<\/span><\/p>\n

And countries did follow. Officials from Columbia, Mexico, Paraguay have, in the past few weeks, <\/span>voiced their own intent of a Bitcoin and crypto law<\/span><\/a>, one that would purportedly make the asset recognized as legal tender in their own countries.<\/span><\/p>\n

But Paraguay\u2019s Rejala isn\u2019t biting into that: “It is a bill of digital assets and it differs from that of El Salvador because they are taking it as legal currency and in Paraguay, it will be impossible to do something like that,” he said, putting to rest rumors of the country making its own inroads in the legal Bitcoin space.<\/span><\/p>\n

Impossible Bitcoin<\/b><\/h2>\n

The statement is a near 180-degree turn from a tweet that implied otherwise earlier this month. “This is Paraguay. July we legislate! #Bitcoin,\u201d he stated then.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

This is Paraguay ?? July we legislate! #Bitcoin<\/a> https:\/\/t.co\/4e4wH7uDrl<\/a><\/p>\n

— Carlitos Rejala ???? (@carlitosrejala) June 17, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n