O presidente da Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, disse hoje que a decisão repentina de retirar a cédula mais usada do país de circulação foi um triunfo econômico sobre os inimigos do país, mesmo com o governo enviando tropas para cidades onde manifestações ocorrem contra a medida.

Na rede nacional de rádio e televisão, Maduro disse que a medida inundou os bancos do país com dinheiro depositado por venezuelanos que correm para se livrar de notas, enquanto também combate comerciantes de moeda na fronteira, a quem ele culpa pelo tombo do valor do bolívar ante o "dólar criminoso".

O anúncio repentino da semana passada de anular todas as notas de 100 bolívares resultou em enormes filas nos bancos, e temores entre cidadãos pobres sem contas bancárias.

Maduro disse que a violência das manifestações que aconteceram no interior do país são resultado de um plano "macabro" conduzido pelo presidente dos Estados Unidos, Barack Obama, para extrair quantias enormes de notas de 100 bolívares da Venezuela para estocá-los no exterior.

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Ele disse que isso foi planejado para ser "o último golpe de Obama, um golpe final para criar caos, violência e divisão".

Muitos economistas dizem que a economia do país entrou em desgraça em razão do controle nos preços, e uma desinflação das exportações de petróleo, bem como dos gastos pesados do governo e políticas de corte na produção, que deram aos venezuelanos muitas notas de 100 bolívares, mas não o bastante para comprar com elas.

Maduro disse que teve que prolongar a vida das notas de 100 porque sabotadores impediram a chegada de aviões que transportavam notas novas. Ele não deu detalhes sobre a sabotagem.

Oitocentos membros das forças de segurança foram enviados para a cidade de El Callao, onde o prefeito, Coromto Lugo, diz que um jovem foi morto, 25 empresas foram saqueadas e 40 pessoas ficaram feridas na manifestação. Na cidade de La Fria, autoridades dizem que a prefeitura foi incendiada durante uma agitação no sábado.

Fonte: Associated Press.






















Venezuela leader says cash crackdown a victory over foes
AP Photo XFLL105, XFLL116, XFLL107, XFLL113
Eds: With AP Photos.
By FABIOLA SANCHEZ
Associated Press CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) _ Venezuela's president said Sunday that the sudden decision to scrap the country's most-used currency bill was an economic triumph over the country's enemies even as the government sent troops and police to cities where riots and looting broke out over the measure.

In a national radio and television broadcast, Nicolas Maduro said his abrupt action had flooded the country's banks with currency deposited by Venezuelans racing to get rid of the paper bills while also devastating Colombian-border currency traders he blames for the bolivar's precipitous plunge in value against ``the criminal dollar.''

Last week's sudden announcement annulling all 100-bolivar notes led to massive lines at banks, a dramatic spurt in electronic payment and widespread fear by poorer people with no bank accounts and all their savings in the doomed bills, whose value had already plunged to a few U.S. cents. Cash transactions such as buying food or gasoline became extremely difficult.

Maduro suddenly changed course late Saturday, announcing the 100-bolivar notes could be used until Jan. 2

Before that announcement riots and looting broke out in several cities and Maduro said Sunday more than 300 people had been detained, including several members of opposition parties.

He said the violence resulted from ``a macabre'' plan promoted by U.S. President Barack Obama to extract massive quantities of 100-bolivar notes from the country and stockpile them abroad.

He said it was meant to be ``the final blow of Obama, a final blow to create chaos, violence, division.''

Most economists blame the country's economic woes on price controls and falling prices for the country's oil exports, as well as heavy government spending and production-crippling policies that gave Venezuelans lots of 100-bolivar notes but not enough to buy with them.

Maduro said he'd had to lift extend the life of the old currency notes because saboteurs had prevented the arrival of three airplanes carrying newly printed, larger-denomination bills from abroad. He didn't give details about the plot.

Disturbances continued into Saturday evening in places such as Ciudad Bolívar, where officials banned motorcycles for 48 hours and restricted overnight car and pedestrian traffic. Bolivar state Gov. Francisco Rangel Gomez said 135 people had been arrested in his state.

Eight hundred police and troops were sent to the town of El Callao, where Mayor Coromto Lugo said a youth was killed, 25 businesses were looted and 40 people were injured in the disturbances.

In the southwestern town of La Fria, officials said city hall was burned during rioting on Saturday.

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