Chavez Threatens to Seize Businesses, Devalues Currency by 50%; Chavez vs. Obama, Parallels Greater Than You Think!
by ilene - January 11th, 2010 3:51 pm
Chavez Threatens to Seize Businesses, Devalues Currency by 50%; Chavez vs. Obama, Parallels Greater Than You Think!
Courtesy of Mish
Turn out the lights. The collapse of Venezuela is well underway. It will not be long before the country completely stops functioning, assuming you think Venezuela is functioning now.
Please consider Chavez Devalued Bolivar 50 Percent.
Venezuela devalued its currency by half yesterday, the first such action since March 2005, as President Hugo Chavez seeks to pull the economy from recession amid falling oil revenue.
Chavez said the bolivar will be devalued to 4.3 per dollar from 2.15 per dollar for most imports. A second, subsidized peg of 2.60 bolivars per dollar will be used for importing food, medicine and machinery intended to boost the economy’s competitiveness.
The government, which restricted foreign currency trading in January 2003 following a two-month general strike intended to oust Chavez from power, last devalued the currency by about 11 percent in March 2005. The bolivar was also devalued in 2004.
Chavez Threatens to Seize Businesses
Inquiring minds are reading Chavez Says He’ll Seize Businesses That Raise Prices.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said that businesses have no reason to raise prices following the devaluation of the bolivar and that the government will seize any entity that boosts its prices.
Chavez said he’ll create an anti-speculation committee to monitor prices after private businesses said that prices would double and consumers rushed to buy household appliances and televisions. The government is the only authority able to dictate price increases, he said.
The government also will “attack” the so-called parallel exchange rate, which Chavez called “illegal.”
The bolivar traded at 6.25 per dollar on Jan. 8, traders said.
“They put the value of the dollar at more than 6 in an arbitrary and illegal manner,” Chavez said. “We have to organize to reduce and attack that speculative, illegal dollar that hurts the Venezuelan economy so much.”
Official Rate vs. Black Market Rate
Official Rate: 4.3 bolivar per dollar
Previous Official Rate: 2.15 bolivar per dollar
Black Market Rate: 6.25 bolivar per dollar
Virtually no one in private business will exchange at the rate of 4.3 bolivar per dollar. Banks will not do it either, otherwise there would be no need for a black market.
Massive Shortages Coming