The Deer-in-the-Headlights as Totem
The government's latest plan to deal with long lines for basic products is one of the most heartbreaking cultural artefacts of the last seventeen years.
Economy
The Indecent Genealogy of Exchange Controls
Every family is dysfunctional, but the Venezuelan exchange control system has a particularly useless progeny.
DiPro, DiCom, DiSparate
Miguel Pérez Abad announced, a new foreign exchange system with two official rates. If you love weird new acronyms, the minister has a treat for you.
The Real Problem is Waste
Venezuela's real problem isn't that "we don't have enough dollars." The real problem is waste. Rampant, crazy, senseless, useless waste.
Explainer: What's the Big Deal About Default
Wondering why exactly economists are so freaked out about a possible default? You're in luck. Here's a 100% jargon-free Explainer anyone can understand.
The Contrarian's Take: Why PDVSA Might Not Default
On Wall Street, the consensus is hardening: PDVSA will default in 2016. But what if they're underestimating our willingness to just pawn everything and pay?
Why Always Bolívar?
The bolivarian myth has always been about securing the legitimacy of rulers who would be on thin ice without it.
Dispatch from a Normal Petrostate
When oil prices collapsed, the Canadian dollar took a tumble. Consumers took a hit, but for businesses, it was a big boost. Walk with me on a tour of macroeconomic adjustment in a petrostate run by sane people.
Dawn of Venezuela's Minimum Wage
Venezuela's had a minimum wage since the 1970s, and it's always been at the gift of the president. The jury's still out on whether that's a good idea or not.
Is MUD about to waste its chance to rein in the Bochinche Parafiscal?
The limited reform bill to the BCV Law MUD has proposed will do nothing to curb the spending free-for-all that's brought economic chaos to Venezuela.
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