The rise of the parallel dollar in Venezuela
As 2026 begins, the Venezuelan economy faces an old specter with renewed strength: the exchange rate gap. After a close to 2025 marked by a devaluation of the bolívar exceeding 80%, the parallel dollar has once again become the thermometer of instability. While the official rate of the Central Bank of Venezuela tries to anchor itself, the informal market has risen to exceed 560 bolívares per dollar, leaving a gap that approaches 85%.