Venezuela – once one of the more prosperous countries in Latin America – has been driven into such economic and political turmoil that its currency is no longer of any use.
However, that has not stopped Venezuelan bolivares from becoming a commodity elsewhere.
Across the border in Colombia, Hector Cordero uses the currency to make wallets and purses, which he sells to tourists in Colombia.
“These bolivares soberanos notes are worth nothing,” Cordero, who is from Caracas, told Al Jazeera. “These notes I use are not circulating any more since last year.”
Venezuela’s currency: Worth more as craft paper than as money https://t.co/Wu06ScphrV pic.twitter.com/1E4f9Q8kN4
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) December 25, 2019
The report says Cordero uses about 70 notes of 100 bolivares to handcraft a small coin purse or at least 100 notes to weave a larger wallet. A handbag, he says, can take upwards of 1,200 notes to produce.
The technique he uses is called “origami venezolano” and he told Al Jazeera that he learned the technique by studying videos on YouTube and watching others in the streets of Caracas.
“When I run out of bolivares, my brother goes to Venezuela and brings more notes,” Cordero said. “People have a lot of these notes and we buy them. We give them what they ask for.” – READ MORE