From Tragedy to Triumph: Maya Parbhoe’s Fight for a Bitcoin-Powered Suriname
On September 4, 2001, Winod Parbhoe, a successful entrepreneur and co-owner of the Suriname Palace Casino, was murdered in a drive-by shooting. This shocking event, which left a wife and a then 13-year-old daughter, Maya Parbhoe, devastated, had its roots in the murky waters of corruption and financial misconduct.
Winod Parbhoe had bravely exposed millions of dollars being illegally siphoned from his business account at De Surinaamsche Bank (DSB), the largest bank in the country besides the central bank. He had reported this financial fraud to various authorities, including the Central Bank of Suriname, the country’s Foreign Exchange Commission, the Minister of Justice (currently the President of Suriname), and even the CIA. Tragically, no one came to his aid, and he was brutally killed shortly after filing his complaint. To this day, the case remains unsolved.
This event would forever shape Maya Parbhoe’s life and inspire her unwavering commitment to fighting corruption and restoring justice. Like her father, Maya inherited a strong entrepreneurial spirit and a deep-seated aversion to corrupt practices.
A Legacy of Business Acumen
Maya’s lineage boasts a history of gifted businesspeople who played a significant role in Suriname’s development. Her grandfather established a successful department store that became the largest in the country, making the Parbhoe family one of the wealthiest in Suriname. This success expanded into real estate, airline investment, wood processing, and fishing ventures.
Winod, a tech-savvy individual, inherited and further expanded the family’s business ventures. He particularly took interest in emerging technologies, readily adopting innovations and distributing them through the family department store. This passion for technology would later be passed down to Maya, influencing her entrepreneurial aspirations.
A Dark Chapter: The Murder and its Aftermath
Winod’s ambition led him to build the Suriname Palace Casino, a project he co-founded with CCA Companies Incorporated (Conserver Corporation of America) via their subsidiary Dorsett Resorts and Hotels.
Despite successfully establishing the casino, Winod was betrayed by Jeffrey Clague, a New Zealander appointed as the casino’s local manager. Clague, in collusion with executives at De Surinaamsche Bank, funneled funds from the casino’s accounts to foreign accounts, allegedly to finance weapons for FARC, a Colombian guerrilla group.
Winod’s efforts to expose the fraud proved fatal. He was assassinated, allegedly by Colombian hitmen hired to silence him.
In the aftermath of Winod’s death, Maya and her mother faced an unimaginable loss. Their assets were systematically stripped, leaving them with little more than the clothes on their backs. An independent investigation confirmed the siphoning of US$16.4 million from their accounts.
Despite legal battles, including criminal charges against De Surinaamsche Bank and a civil case against Clague, the Parbhoe family received no justice. They lost the initial civil case, which was appealed and ultimately ruled against them on June 11, 2024. Maya maintains that the court’s decision was influenced by corruption, citing the replacement of a judge familiar with the case with a "new young judge" who issued a ruling unfavorable to the Parbhoe family.
Corruption Runs Deep
Unfortunately, the Parbhoe family’s experience is far from unique in Suriname. The country is plagued by rampant corruption, extending to the highest echelons of power.
Former President, Desiré Bouterse, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for murdering 15 political opponents in 1982, with a US travel ban imposed for his human rights violations. However, despite the conviction, Bouterse has yet to turn himself in, and authorities have not apprehended him.
The current Vice President, Ronnie Brunswijk, has also been convicted of drug trafficking.
The judicial system is riddled with corruption, hindering justice for ordinary citizens. This pervasive corruption has created a climate of systemic injustice, discouraging the pursuit of legal remedies by those seeking justice.
Emerging From the Ashes: Maya Parbhoe’s Journey to Entrepreneurship
In the face of unimaginable personal tragedy and financial ruin, Maya exhibited remarkable resilience and entrepreneurial spirit. Despite losing everything, she was determined to forge a path toward a better future.
With her mother’s unwavering support, Maya excelled academically. By age 19, she was already running her first company, Quickship Logistics (formerly GreyMic Imports). She would later go on to found Icarus Geo, a civil engineering firm that experienced rapid growth in its first few years.
Maya’s pursuit of knowledge and ambition led her to Oxford’s Fintech Programme. While the course itself fell short of her expectations, it connected her with the Oxford Fintech Lab, a platform that helped her develop OuroX, a spot securities exchange designed to connect investors in Latin America and the Caribbean.
OuroX aimed to bridge the gap in Suriname’s underdeveloped capital market by lowering the barrier to entry and providing access to a broader range of investment opportunities. However, the project faced setbacks when the governor of the Central Bank, Robert van Trikt, who had initially supported OuroX, was arrested for money laundering.
Despite the challenges, Maya persevered, working tirelessly to gain support for her vision. She collaborated with banks and financial institutions, advocating for OuroX and its potential to enhance Suriname’s economic landscape.
However, the project stalled as political instability and corruption continued to plague Suriname. The Minister of Finance, initially supportive of OuroX, was forced to step down amidst a family scandal involving money laundering. The government’s focus shifted away from innovation, hindering OuroX’s progress further.
Facing relentless resistance and threats, Maya ultimately decided to move forward independently. She established Daedalus Labs in Bermuda, a Bitcoin-focused technology company, in May 2023.
Daedalus Labs: A Bitcoin-Powered Solution to Real-World Problems
Daedalus Labs’ flagship product, RESIN (Real Estate Investment Network), is a unique real estate investment trust (REIT) that leverages the power of Bitcoin to revolutionize property ownership.
RESIN helps individuals acquire property without requiring a down payment or charging interest. Buyers make monthly payments, which are converted into Bitcoin. Conversely, whenever RESIN purchases a property for its REIT portfolio, it also acquires an amount of Bitcoin equivalent to the property’s dollar value. This structure eliminates traditional lending mechanisms, freeing individuals from the constraints of a centralized banking system.
The Vision for a Bitcoin Standard Suriname
Maya Parbhoe envisions a Suriname free from the grip of a corrupt financial system. She believes that Bitcoin holds the potential to empower individuals and create a more just and equitable society.
She is proposing a move towards a Bitcoin standard for Suriname, a bold vision that would revolutionize the country’s economic landscape and bring much-needed relief to its citizens struggling with rampant inflation and limited economic opportunity.
Maya believes that adopting a Bitcoin standard would:
- Increase purchasing power: By accepting Bitcoin transactions, Suriname would see a decrease in the prices of imported goods, which are a significant portion of the country’s economy. This would increase the purchasing power of citizens, improving their overall quality of life.
- Reduce dependence on a corrupt banking system: Bitcoin would eliminate the need for individuals to interact with banks for everyday transactions, reducing their vulnerability to corruption and unfair practices.
- Boost Transparency: Transactions on the Bitcoin blockchain are transparent and auditable, making government spending and financial activities more accountable and difficult to manipulate.
- Facilitate international investment: Bitcoin adoption could attract much-needed investment from the global Bitcoin community, further strengthening Suriname’s economy.
Maya is inspired by the example set by El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele, who made Bitcoin legal tender in 2021. The success of Bukele’s initiative has proven the potential of Bitcoin to transform economies and improve the lives of citizens.
A Fight for the Future of Suriname
Maya Parbhoe’s decision to run for President of Suriname is a testament to her unwavering commitment to her family’s legacy, her desire for a better future for her country, and her belief in the transformative power of Bitcoin.
Her candidacy faces significant challenges, including the deeply entrenched corruption in the country’s political system and the threat of retaliation from powerful individuals and interests opposing change. But Maya is undeterred. She is confident in her message, her vision for Suriname, and the potential of Bitcoin to empower its citizens and drive economic growth.
Maya’s path to becoming President of Suriname will not be easy, but she is determined to pave the way for a more prosperous and just future. Her story serves as an inspiration to individuals around the world, proving that even in the face of tragedy and overwhelming odds, hope and determination can fuel transformative change.
The future of Suriname, and possibly the world, may rest in the hands of this courageous woman, who dared to challenge the status quo and champion a future powered by Bitcoin.
