What Happens When a Bitcoiner Runs for President | Maya Parbhoe

Live from Bitcoin Beach in El Zonte, El Salvador, in this episode, I sit down with Maya Parbhoe, a powerhouse from Suriname who’s leading a movement to bring Bitcoin adoption to her country and shake up their corrupt political system. 

Maya talks about how she’s driving grassroots Bitcoin adoption, including how SATs from international Bitcoiners are changing lives in Suriname by helping local merchants and families. We also dive into her ambitious presidential campaign for the May 2025 elections, where she’s aiming to overhaul Suriname’s broken system by making Bitcoin the national currency and bringing transparency to government spending.

Maya shares stories from the "Decentralized Suriname" conference she helped organize, her vision for an open-source government, and the challenges she faces taking on the entrenched corruption in her country. She’s raising funds for her campaign and laying the groundwork to turn Suriname into a Bitcoin-powered success story.

This is a conversation about freedom, innovation, and the power of Bitcoin to change everything. If you care about Bitcoin’s potential to transform nations, you’ll want to listen to this one. Let’s support Maya and her incredible mission.

- Mike

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X: https://x.com/MayaPar25

Website: https://www.maya2025.com/

Browse through this quick guide to learn more about the episode:

00:00:00 - Introduction
00:01:08 - What Makes Suriname Unique Compared to Other Countries?

00:03:02 - How Is Bitcoin Helping Local Merchants in Suriname? 

00:05:17 - What Made the Suriname Bitcoin Conference a Success?

00:07:26 - What’s the Plan B Bitcoin Conference in El Salvador About?

00:09:59 - How Did Locals and Internationals Respond to the Suriname Bitcoin Conference?

00:13:28 - How Are Bitcoin Vendors Transforming Payments in Suriname?

00:15:27 - What Are Suriname’s Plans for More Bitcoin Events Like Hackathons and Festivals?

00:19:47 - Why Is Maya Parbhoe Running for President of Suriname?

00:21:25 - What Challenges Are Suriname’s Government Facing Right Now?

00:25:01 - How Does Corruption Impact Suriname’s Economy and Politics?

00:28:39 - Why Is Suriname Financially Isolated Despite Its Resources?

00:35:07 - Why Did Maya Parbhoe Join a Larger Political Party for the Election?

00:41:12 - How Do Global Financial Systems Like the IMF Affect Countries Like Suriname?

00:45:47 - How Can Tax Reforms and Nuclear Energy Help Suriname?

00:49:52 - Why Are IMF Programs Harming Instead of Helping Suriname?

00:53:16 - What Examples of Corruption Exist in Suriname’s Government?

00:55:16 - What Happened with Suriname’s Failed Large-Scale Projects?

01:01:09 - How Can You Support Maya Parbhoe’s Presidential Campaign?

01:09:16 - Where Can You Follow and Learn More About Maya Parbhoe’s Plans?

Live From Bitcoin Beach