To whom are bolivars - new, in bank packaging? A "black" market for the Venezuelan currency has formed in Russia, the Republic reported. Now in Runet you can find a lot of ads for the sale and purchase of bolivars
There could be billions of bolivars in Russia now. They were brought here, as Republic found out, Russian state-owned companies that work in Venezuela. First of all, we are talking about oilmen, about Rosneft. But the publication also mentions KamAZ, which supplied trucks there.
According to journalists, the cache was transported by planes and sea containers. Then the cash ended up in the hands of resellers who are now trying to sell it. Course - as lucky. Someone sells a few rubles for a bolivar, someone gives it away for a few kopecks. Business FM called on one of the ads. The phone was picked up by a man who introduced himself as Nikolai.
- I don’t understand anything - who sells for how much, who buys for how much, to be honest.
- How much are you leaning towards?
- Well, how much do you need?
I must be a million. Do you have that many?
— A million. There are, of course, there are more. Well, I don’t know, if you took it, at least tomorrow I would give you 10 kopecks each with pleasure. They are packaged, even in bank packaging made. In good condition, all banknotes, 2015.
In Venezuela there is currency control, so bolivars can only be in circulation in their home country. On the other hand, the legislation of other countries does not prohibit the trading of this currency.
In Venezuela, there is an official exchange rate: the bolivar costs 10 cents. Accordingly, in Russian currency- about six rubles per bolivar. True, there is also an unofficial exchange rate in Venezuela - several thousand bolivars per dollar. All this leaves ample room for course interpretation and speculation. You can make a successful sale and purchase transaction by converting bolivars into Russian or American currency.
General Director of the investment company VOLGA Capital“I think that there is speculative interest for a narrow circle. I have had several such proposals. Indeed, there is a potential opportunity to make money on this, since the chain “bolívar-ruble”, “ruble-dollar”, “dollar-bolívar”, and all kinds of such currency pairs you can create several, they work well inside Russia. It’s just technically more convenient to do it here than in the USA, for example, because no one will allow bolivar to be traded here in such volumes.”
If it is true that Russian state-owned companies took cash out of Venezuela, then they can be understood. You can’t really buy anything with the bolivars earned there, there is hyperinflation in the country, over the past three years the national currency has fallen in price by 50 times. And even while these banknotes flew and sailed to Russia, their value was dwindling. It was also impossible to exchange for dollars, because there is a tension with dollars in Venezuela.
And in Russia, the bolivar is a ghost currency. On the one hand, it seems to be non-existent, because outside of Venezuela it is worth nothing. On the other hand, it still exists. Ads for sale are accompanied by photographs: suitcases of money and even cabinets. A horse cannot bear so many bolivars.
Billions of cash bolívars, Venezuela's national currency, have been exported by Russian companies cooperating with that country over the past three years. Venezuela is currently going through a severe financial crisis, the country has begun issuing new banknotes of large denominations, and now these heaps of imported money are hardly worth anything.
It is difficult to say what forced Russian companies to export cash bolivars, especially since Venezuelan laws prohibit doing so. However, they often entered into contracts under which they received local currency for their services, converting it into dollars or other stable currency. monetary unit was impossible. Apparently, this forced them to export cash bolivars in the hope that someday they could be sold somehow. As a result, a black market for Venezuelan bolivars has formed in Russia, where the currency that no one needs is sold in batches of a billion, Republic writes.
At the official exchange rate, one dollar is equal to 10 bolivars, but those who are willing to sell dollars demand 3,750 bolivars for each. As for banks, they do not exchange at the official rate.
But in Russia, on the Internet, you can find many offers to exchange millions of bolivars for rubles. They ask for 6 rubles per bolivar, but if they manage to sell for 2 rubles, they consider it a great success.
The FORUM.CASH website warns that there is some fraudulent activity in Russia on the offer of bolivars in large quantities with a certain discount from the official exchange rate. "The main point of this fraud is that the exchange rate in Venezuela differs hundreds of times from the official one," the authors of the site say.
But, as the researchers write, billions of cash bolivars "roam" around Russia. Many companies are named among the owners of large sums in this currency, including KamAZ and Rosneft. Meduza, who tried to clarify the situation with Rosneft spokesman Mikhail Leontiev, answered: "None of your damn business."
The Venezuelan authorities themselves say that a total of 300 billion cash bolivars were illegally exported from the country, which were then found in the United States, Switzerland, Poland, Ukraine and other countries.
Today, the bolivar is one of the most volatile currencies in the world. In three years, it depreciated 50 times. Last year alone, inflation in Venezuela was 720%, and country's GDP dropped by 10%.
Most recently, the head of the Republic, Nicolás Maduro, dismissed the head of central bank country, blaming him for all the financial turmoil. Reuters who has access to the preliminary annual report Venezuelan Central Bank reported that in 2016 the inflation rate in the country reached 800%.
Last year, the country's government had to agree to the issuance of new banknotes of large denominations. The old money, where the largest banknote was 100 bolívares, could no longer cope with circulation. It came to the point that the money was not counted, but weighed. Now the largest denomination will be 20,000 bolivars.
But even this money outside the country turns into paper. After all, the decree of Hugo Chavez, which introduced total currency control, is still in effect. Since then, it has not been possible to legally change bolivars outside of Venezuela.
When Russian athletes fought their way to the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, four Muscovites were released from a Brazilian prison on a large bail. They spent a month in custody. The local police suspect them of financial fraud. Brazilian authorities launched an investigation after the third group of Russians this year was detained with millions of Venezuelan bolivars. About the adventures of Muscovites in a country where there are many not only monkeys, Lenta.ru learned.
On June 22, two citizens of the Russian Federation, Lyubov Kazarinova and Artur Sharov, were arrested in the city of Manaus, the state of Amazonia, Brazil. On July 1, their friends Artemy Semyonovsky and Mikhail Bilko were also taken into custody. All were released on August 3 on bail of 3.5 thousand euros for each. Now the Russians are in a local hotel and are awaiting trial.
The details were given on page on Facebook Artemy Semenovsky immediately after his release from prison.
“Early in the morning, seven hours before my plane, when I was still sleeping, a special police unit armed to the teeth burst into the room. They put me on the floor, handcuffed me, conducted a search and, taking everything of value, took me for interrogation. A day in solitary confinement, then two in a reception center and more than a month in prison. No charges have been filed, no violations of the law have been found, therefore, after posting a bail (3500 EUR each), they are going to keep me and three of my comrades in Brazil on bail for about a year, or even several years or all our lives (suddenly we confess to something) - the term of restriction of freedom for the innocent is not limited here. The official reason is the declared 14,000 dollars (my friend) in our room in foreign currency, which allows us to be suspected of belonging to an international cartel for laundering criminal money. The position of the consul is that human rights end where Brazilian law begins, get ready to sit for several years in the status of innocents - this is normal, this is Brazil, Russia will not interfere.”
In an interview with Lente.ru, Artemy Semenovsky spoke about prison conditions: “First, a day in solitary confinement, stripped to underpants, without bed linen, on a mattress black with mud. Then two days in the reception center, where 100 people are in a cell and you have to sleep on a cement floor. Then the IPART-MANAUS prison. There are seven people (Misha and I and five criminals) at nine square meters. There is better, but also not sugar. They didn’t take me for a walk, they gave me a call once a month. ”
According to him, during the arrests, all possible rights were violated: denial of the right to call, to a lawyer, to an interpreter, denial of a call to the consul Russian Federation, and rights were not read.
“They kept secret from the consul for two weeks what prison Artur and Lyuba were in, until Lyuba (like Misha) went on a hunger strike,” says Artemy.
The suspects now live at the Wyndham Garden Hotel in Manaus. Accommodation paid for a couple of months in advance.
The Russians hired two local lawyers, whose services cost, according to Semenovsky, five to seven thousand dollars. “They don't want to work anymore. There is a free lawyer from the Brazilian state,” he explains. The next court hearing will take place in six months.
According to Artemy, his friends Artur and Lyuba were detained by the police at the airport on their flight from Manaus to Sao Paulo. They were carrying Venezuelan bolivars.
He claims that the money found in his room belongs to Arthur. Semenovsky himself, according to him, came to Brazil only for tourism purposes. He has his own business in Moscow, he is the owner of the Vista Trade company, which employs 50 people.
“Nal was accumulated by Artur Sharov in Brazil with only one purpose - to open an export-import company on the border of Venezuela and Brazil. In connection with the criminal situation in Venezuela, the cash was transported to Brazil, ”Semenovsky explains to Lente.ru.
Photo: Carlos Garcia Rawlins / Reuters
The police suspect three Russians and a citizen of Ukraine (Mikhail Bilko) of laundering criminal money, illegal financial transactions and involvement in a criminal group. This is stated in the police and court records that were at the disposal.
From these documents it follows that during a search in the hotel of Artemy Semenovsky and his friend Mikhail Bilko, 14 million Venezuelan bolivars (about $ 1.4 million at the official rate) of unclear, possibly illegal origin, were found, as well as electronic devices, Cell phones and funds for sorting money - paper tape, glue.
“The detainees said that a certain Artur asked them to deliver money from Venezuela to Russia,” the protocol says. More than 10,000 Brazilian reais cannot be imported into Brazil without a declaration - about 3,125 dollars at the exchange rate on August 8.
“This money has been accumulating for the business for six months already. The interval between declarations is six months. All money was exchanged in Venezuela at the rate commercial bank for tourists. All currency had an official declaration. The laws of the country were not violated, ”Semenovsky explained to Lente.ru. According to him, there are no restrictions on the transportation of money provided that they are declared by Brazilian law.
March 2011 Arthur
On the hands were traveler's checks and a credit card with a debit card, both Citibank. But in these cases, nothing can be done, taxi drivers and other travel checks will not take. Well, ATMs will be written off for withdrawn tugriks, sorry, bolivars at the unrealistic rate of $ 1 = 4.3 bolivars. I rented 650 of the most entih, they charged me 153 pale green ones for this. So, these 153 greens were enough for me for a day. This is 340 bolivars 3* hotel La Parada - single overnight stay (room only) plus transfer from/to airport; 110 - for dinner and lunch the next day, 190 airport Departure tax, and 7-8 for a pack of cookies and yogurt - for breakfast, because La Parada did not offer such. But - unlimited tea / coffee around the clock, free Internet. The hotel itself is clean and comfortable. If for a dollar I got at least 8 bolivariks, I would say that for the price it’s very nothing, but just call me, I can’t ...
Read full story11-12.2007 Fedor
Officially, the dollar is changed only in the local equivalent of Sberbank. As of December 2007, they gave about 2,300 bolivars per dollar. On the black market, they first changed at 6,300, after the elections on December 2, the rate fell to 5,700 per dollar, but the difference is still noticeable. It is better to change through acquaintances, if any, or at worst through taxi drivers, waiters, etc. The rate, of course, is lower, but still more profitable.
They simply didn’t see ATMs there, and it’s dumb to withdraw something - again, because of the exchange rate.
In many restaurants there is one "wonderful" cartoon - you look at the menu, the prices seem to be sane. You order, eat, bring the bill - and there is 20% more: 11% of one tax and 9% of another. It is necessary to carefully look whether the menu prices include this tax.
Plus, in many restaurants and shops you can be forced to write all the information about yourself on the receipt - who, where, where you live, phone number, etc., and without this they will not give you a purchase or change. Hello Chavez, it was terribly annoying. But this is mainly in Caracas, in other cities everything is much simpler and calmer.
09.07.06 - till today Konstantin
The circulation of the dollar in Venezuela is prohibited. Currency can only be changed at official points like Italkambio.
There is an unofficial exchange rate, and today it is 3,700 bolivars for 1,000 dollars. An exchange at such a rate is associated with many risks, but people still change at the specified rate. It is impossible to send money (neither dollars nor bolivars) to Russia from the country. "Westernunion" does not work with Russia. Traveler's checks cannot be obtained when leaving Venezuela.
When leaving the country, if the local currency remains, it remains to change at the black rate, and, as I said above, it is very predatory.
Billions of Venezuelan currency - bolívars - are being imported into Russia. According to the publication Republic, the money was received by companies for work in Venezuela. At the same time, the bolivar in Russia is a non-convertible currency. What can be done with these billions? Aleksey Sokolov clarified.
Venezuela for Russia has long become an analogue of Cuba for the Soviet Union. But friendship with the republic turned Russian companies unexpected side. It's about the currency - bolivars: the country is in deep crisis, the exchange rate is rapidly falling, in three years local money has depreciated 50 times. The currency, which is rapidly losing at least some value, was imported into Russia by companies working with Venezuela. Dollars for payment under contracts in the country simply ran out, and then you had to pay in local currency. Despite the fact that the export of this currency from the country is illegal, the money still crossed the borders, and not only in suitcases, but almost in sea containers. The companies hoped to somehow cash out banknotes in Moscow, Irina Rys, deputy chairman of the board of Lanta-bank, told Kommersant FM.
“Our clients have received requests to exchange cash bolivars for any kind of currency, more or less acceptable: dollars, euros, rubles, at least for something. But we couldn't help them. I know that some of our colleagues from other banks still changed the Venezuelan currency, she said. “There are options for exchanging bolivars for another currency from the category of “soft” and subsequently, after two or three operations, access to some freely convertible currency with significant losses.”
But there are those who buy bolivar. According to media reports, for settlements in Venezuela, Rosneft buys currency in Russia: it costs the company much cheaper than exchanging money in the country itself. The press secretary of the company Mikhail Leontiev got through to the journalists of the publication Republic. When asked about the bolivars, he answered with a laconic phrase: "None of your fucking business."
Most often, buyers or sellers of bolivars in Moscow turn out to be scammers, said the manager dream partner Team Investments Alexander Butmanov.
“The Venezuelan bolivar has at least three courses: white, gray and black. The real market rate is the "black" rate. But the bolivar has another, fourth, market - completely “black-black”. They are trying to give the so-called Bolivarian currency there, because half of it is counterfeit. I would warn against exchange transactions: this is inflated so that there is an information background, and people buy this currency at least at some supposedly favorable rate. These rumors appear on the market, and people offer obscure papers denominated in bolivars and bolivars themselves. It is not recommended to touch this,” he warned.
The scam is not new. The calculation is that the simple-minded businessman wants to make money on the rapidly collapsing currency or at least somehow sell it. Attackers offer an incredibly favorable exchange rate and ask for an impressive advance as security for the transaction or, for example, pay the cost legal translation contracts. After receiving the money, the scammers disappear. The most realistic advertisement I have come across: a resident of St. Petersburg was interested in where to buy this "waste paper" so that banknotes can be used instead of poker chips.
At official exchange rate 10 bolivars per dollar on the "black" market change them at a ratio of almost 4000:1. Often this is the only way to somehow change the Venezuelan money.
