country
EN
Spending US Dollars in Latin America in 2026: New Rules
['Rocco Caldero']
The Rio Times
—Venezuela — The BCV rate sits near 749 VES per US$ against a parallel rate near 845, a gap of about 13%, in a heavily dollarised economy.
—The habit — Always choose to be billed in the local currency and decline dynamic currency conversion at the terminal.
For Venezuela and, to a lesser degree, Bolivia, it is still worth checking the local parallel rate before you convert.
Why is US dollar cash so useful in Venezuela?
There is also still a meaningful gap between the official BCV rate, near 749 VES per US$, and the parallel rate, near 845, of about 13%.