‘Help’ post sparks fear for Bitcoin candidate
Suriname’s Maya Parbhoe vanishes after warning about serious threats to her life and unborn child
Maya Parbhoe, the Surinamese presidential candidate who promised to make Bitcoin the country’s legal tender, has gone silent after posting a one-word message on X: “Help.” The post, shared on April 3, came less than 24 hours after she launched a live audio stream titled “Life and family under threat” – which abruptly cut off within seconds.
Help
— Maya Parbhoe (@MayaPar25) April 2, 2025
Parbhoe, who is pregnant, has not been seen or heard from directly since. Her sudden disappearance sparked alarm across the Bitcoin community, where she is widely admired for her bold proposals to reshape Suriname’s financial system.
Her campaign platform includes a sweeping economic overhaul: replacing the Surinamese dollar with Bitcoin, removing income taxes, dismantling the country’s central bank, and funding public services through a Sovereign Wealth Fund sourced from natural resource exports.
She announced in October that she would adopt Bitcoin as legal tender on her first day in office through executive order – bypassing parliamentary approval entirely. Her plan goes even further than El Salvador’s, aiming not just to hold Bitcoin in reserve or promote its use, but to fully integrate it into the national economy.
Bitcoin community rallies as updates trickle in
While there has still been no direct communication from Parbhoe herself, small updates have started to surface. Some in the Bitcoin space are trying to reassure the growing number of followers who fear something serious may have happened.
Bitcoin advocate Daniel Batten said he managed to reach her and posted the following message on X:
Hi Cory. Managed to get through. Thanks for your support. Keep it coming in whatever form you are able. Even your blessings.
— Daniel Batten (@DSBatten) April 3, 2025
In short: yes, she is OK.
Ridding your country of corruption is not for the faint-hearted.
Despite the brief assurance, others remain cautious. “This may be very serious,” one user posted. “Maya has had security issues in Suriname from opposition.” Calls for an official statement continue to mount, with many urging Parbhoe or her team to break the silence.
On April 4, a Suriname-based Bitcoin group, @BitcoinSranan, posted an update: “Maya is safe. 🧡 She’ll be speaking soon. Stay tuned and stay focused. The mission continues.”
Still, without a public statement from Parbhoe herself, speculation remains. Supporters have voiced fears that her anti-corruption stance and radical Bitcoin agenda may have made her a target.
In past interviews, Parbhoe has linked her campaign to personal trauma. Her father, Winod Parbhoe, was murdered in 2001 after exposing corruption in Suriname’s banking system. She has said that Bitcoin offers a transparent, decentralized alternative to the financial structures she believes have failed her country.
At the time of writing, no official update has been released by Parbhoe’s campaign team or the Surinamese government.
