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WORLD NEWS Saturday 17 december 2016

Venezuelans scramble as most-used banknote becomes void

HANNAH DREIER The 100-bolivar bill — until
Associated Press now the country’s largest
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) denomination — is worth
— Venezuela came close little more than 2 cents,
to becoming a country down from 10 cents at the
without cash on Friday. start of the year.
As the nation’s most widely The embattled socialist
used banknote went out president held up a new
of circulation, the higher- 500 bolivar bill on his televi-
denomination bills that sion show Thursday, prom-
were supposed to replace ising the new banknotes
the 100-bolivar note had would soon be in wide cir-
not yet arrived at banks or culation and offering to
ATMs. That forced people temporarily cut sales tax for
to rely on credit cards and credit card transactions.
bank transfers or to try to But on Friday, ATMs were
make purchases with bun- still issuing only the now-
dles of hard-to-find smaller worthless 100-bolivar notes.
bills often worth less than a Maduro also said the gov-
penny each. ernment has begun to cir-
President Nicolas Mad- culate new 100- 50- and
uro made a surprise an- 10-bolivar coins, but few
nouncement Sunday that seem to have reached
the 100-bolivar note would the public. Venezuelans A vendor waits for customers, in Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday, Dec. 15, 2016. Today is latest
go out of circulation by waited in lines hundreds deadline for Venezuelan’s to exchange 100-bolivar bank notes, which the government is remov-
the week’s end amid the of people long all week ing from circulation.
world’s highest inflation. He to deposit their cash. On (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)
also temporarily closed the Thursday, shopkeepers put
border with Colombia and up signs saying 100-bolivar
Brazil, and then on Thurs- bills would no longer be ac-
day night extended the cepted. That meant many
border closure for another people looking to buy gro-
72 hours. Maduro said says ceries or take taxis were
the closure was needed to out of luck, as banks had
thwart “mafias” who hoard run out of lower-denomina-
bolivars. Critics mocked tion bills like 50 and 20-boli-
the notion that gangsters var notes during the week,
would choose to keep and had not yet received
their wealth in the world’s the higher-denomination
fastest-devaluing currency. replacements. q
Former Guantanamo detainee
leaves Uruguay for South Africa

MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay cal about his unhappiness
(AP) — A former Guanta- over being in Uruguay.
namo detainee who had Dhiab briefly fell into a
resettled in Uruguay left the coma during a hunger
South American country for strike in September and
South Africa on Thursday, was hospitalized twice.
ending a two-year cam- The 45-year-old Syrian was
paign to be allowed to go. released from the U.S. base
Christian Mirza, who had in Cuba in December 2014,
been the government li- but could not return to his
aison for six ex-Guantana- homeland due to the civil
mo prisoners resettled in war there.
Uruguay nearly two years He had been detained for
ago, said Syrian native Abu 12 years as an enemy com-
Wa’el Dhiab had taken a batant with suspected ties
flight to Johannesburg. to militants but was never
Dhiab had long been vo- charged.q