Hacker News Reader

In Venezuela, it's illegal to even offer dollars at the black market rate. But you can even go to a public square in front of the Congress and find people selling and buying dollars in the street.

The government even went as far to block websites that published the black market rate online. You can imagine how effective that was.

These kind of controls only generate corruption in the end. Its widely known that if you are willing to pay enough and know the right people in the government, you can get dollars assigned at the official rate for anything you want.

Online newspapers post the rates daily. Buying from the black master is just a matter of heading downtown and looking for people offering exchange in the streets. It's accessible for anyone.

People in the streets buy/cell. They are called "arbolitos" (little trees)

For big sums it is not that hard to find a "cueva" (cave)

http://dolarblue.net/