Simón Bolívar, the soldier and statesman who led the revolutions against Spain in the Viceroyalty of New Granada and freed Venezuela and other five latinamerican countries, had a short and convulsive life, just like the venezuelan currency named after him.
In January 2015 we were struggling with two digits inflation and the accelerated loss of purchasing power of the Venezuelan currency. By that time the minimum salary was 10.000 bolívares (Bs.) a month or some US$ 40 at the black market exchange rate. When I went to the supermarket to buy regular groceries and the cashier said "there's Bs. 10.000" I was surprised as just in one purchase I spent a whole salary. I decided to take a picture in my kitchen as a reminder of that moment. I was far to imagine how bad this problem would get.
This is my groceries purchase with Bs. 10.000 (or US$ 40) in January 2015
From thay day I started a photo project and at least once a month I went to the same supermarket and expent just Bs. 10.000 and took a picture of what I could buy in the same place documenting how fast the same amount of money lost value and purchase power. That was the beggining of the hashtag #10milVzla in Instagram were I posted the pictures.
At the end of 2015 the purchase was dramatically smaller. Because of the fast raising of food prices the government started to control them and decreed an official list of basic food supplies regulated prices and to change prices was forbidden. Automatically all the regulated prices food supplies disappeared from the shelves of the supermarkets and the black market resellers mafias (called "bachaqueros") started to resell food at 10 times its regulated price causing shortage in massive channels and more inflation. By that time the government raised the minimum salary in 260% and it was Bs. 26.000, some US$18 because of the devaluation of the currency.
December 2015 purchase with Bs. 10.000, and yes, I could renew my kitchen by selling one of my cameras
In 2016 everything was worse. Just five months later from that picture I could buy just 5 items with Bs. 10.000. The government continued with the price regulation measures and decreed several minimun salary raises reaching Bs. 83.000 and still lossing value. Because of the general economic crisis the domestic food industry is practically paralized and works at a mininum capacity so supermarkets and the government increased all the imports of food. As the people could not pay international food prices the government designed a food supplying and subsidised prices plan theorically controlled by the community to bring one low cost "box of food" per family every month. Only people registered in a new special government system can get that "benefit" and food mafias work around this supply system as well.
Purchase in May 2016. Do you like my new kitchen?
2017 was an horror history. By December Venezuela officially entered in hiperinflation with a 2.600% of inflation for the year. Just in December, in one month the prices raised 195%. The minimun salary was Bs. 248.000 equivalent to just US$1.
In January 2018 I went to the supermarkt with Bs. 10.000 in my purse and this time I get back home with empty hands, I could not buy a single item with that money. So this is my last picture were bills are displayed with no value at all and I could throw them as garbage.
May be my next picture will be just air becouse the venezuelan Bolívar became that in just 2 years.
If you want to know more about Venezuelan crisis ask me, there are a lot off miths and fakes about what is happening in my country. If you ask me I will document and write about it, with no political radicalism, just like a live it.
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If you want to see all the pictures visit 10milVzla in Instagram