Román Maniglia appointed new head of Venezuela's tax authority

Román Maniglia, already at the helm of the state-owned Banco de Venezuela, has taken on a new, pivotal role as the chief of Seniat, the National Integrated Service of Customs and Tax Administration. This appointment places him in charge of Venezuela's primary revenue source at a critical juncture for the nation's economy.

Maniglia, who holds an MBA in Finance from Spain's EAE Business School, brings a specialized focus on cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology. This expertise has been instrumental for the Venezuelan government in navigating budgetary constraints in recent years. His new mandate at Seniat involves boosting tax and tribute collection, a task made more urgent by the ongoing national tragedy of earthquakes in Vargas and a sluggish economy.

Previously serving as vice minister of Finance from 2020 to 2025, Maniglia was tasked with overseeing the digital economy, banking, insurance, and securities sectors. He was also part of the restructuring board for the National Superintendency of Cryptoassets and Related Activities (Sunacrip) in 2023, an entity that had been intervened following a significant fraud scandal.

Maniglia's family background includes prominent figures in Venezuelan politics and military. His father, Ramón Orlando Maniglia Ferreira, is Venezuela's ambassador to Colombia and a former ambassador to Germany, having served as a minister of Defense under Hugo Chávez. His mother is Admiral Carmen Meléndez, the current mayor of Caracas and a long-time confidante of the ruling "chavismo" movement.

This new generation of leaders, educated abroad and with a focus on digital finance, has been actively engaging with the business sector. Maniglia's tenure at Banco de Venezuela has seen him meet with entrepreneurs and promote public banking credits for startups, aiming to expand the productive ecosystem and foster economic growth.

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From the Banco de Venezuela we continue working to expand that productive ecosystem that allows the growth of the economy and the expansion to new markets through integration.