With our correspondent in La Paz, Alice Campaignolle
« I slept here, I’ve been here since last night. “says a woman in the queue. The queue in front of the central bank in La Paz has reached several hundred meters for a week. All are there to take advantage of the official exchange rate of 6.96 bolivianos per dollar, and thus buy American currency, which can cost in private exchange offices, sometimes up to 10 bolivianos. Miguel is a merchant, and the dollar has become essential for him: “ I need dollars, because currently the people I buy from in the country ask me for the money in dollars. »
A safe haven
In February, when the Central Bank of Bolivia announced that its dollar reserves were lower than ever, the reaction of Bolivians was to rush to the American currency. Hence the increase in rates. The dollar as a refuge, an old reflex in a country that has not always had a stable currency. Janeth, for example, makes herself a woolen stocking. “ Me, I’ve always had my savings in dollars. There, I’m going to buy 20,000 of them, and they are intended for the future of my children. »
The central bank’s announcement a week ago to sell dollars at the official rate in the face of rising demand therefore led to these endless queues. The institution claimed to have sold 12 million dollars last week and ensures that this operation is a success, despite the concern and speculation.
►Also read: In Argentina, the dollar, a national passion
