Navigation devalued Venezuelan bills, street pieces and "Money Art" logging in registering confirm restoration of your password

Wilmer started Armando Barquitos with tickets that he found lying on the street;He now makes wallets in which he uses up to 800 pieces of the devalued Venezuelan currency, which together they would reach to buy half a kilo of rice.

With three children and another on the way, Wilmer Rojas, a 25 -year -old mulatto, ventures into street art with low denomination bolivars that nobody wants, as the currency devalued 86.6% in front of the euro since August.

"People boot them because they do not use anything, nobody accepts them," he tells AFP on the outskirts of a Caracas Metro station where he sells cigarettes and coffee, and spends the day weaving tickets.

With those of 2, 5, 10 and 20 bolivars "you don't buy a caramel," he says about the 400 pieces he used to complete a small portfolio.

The other denominations, in force for a year, were also sprayed with the inflation that closed 2017 in 2.600%, according to Parliament, and climb at 13.000% this year, according to IMF estimates.

In addition, the six pieces of the new monetary cone represent about 50 cents in the black market.

"There are about 50 bowling here (50.000 bolivars) that serve a box of cigarettes if perhaps, "says Wilmer on the tickets he used for a queen crown.

- "toy" money -

The tickets are folded like Origami and intertwined with thread and needle.Wilmer learned the technique of another artisan.

"They can be done with magazine or newspaper, but with tickets it is easier because they are worthless and are the same size, we must not waste time cutting them," justifies Wilmer, who hopes to start selling their bags shortly.

It needs an extra income, because the sale of cigarettes and coffee declined for cash scarcity."Sometimes customers spend greeting me and tell me 'I don't have real (money)".

He fears that the crisis frustrates his intentions, then, he says, "here people do have to eat and they will not pay what the workforce costs".

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However, in the center of Caracas other artisans sell the bags up to 300.000 bolivars - even more than a third of the minimum income - that they reach to acquire a kilo of meat.

They are even marketed in the Colombian city of Maicao (Northern Border), where they compete with the traditional Wayuu backpacks.

That the Venezuelan currency is used as a "toy" and not as a means of payment is the best expression of the loss of its value, says economist Tamara Herrera.

- "Devaluous Venezuela" -

With 1.000 2 bolivars tickets that nobody accepted, José León, 26 -year -old designer, began a "protest" on Instagram that accompanied with painted tickets and the #Venezueladevaluada tag.

Deadpool, Marvel's antihero, inspired his first paper money engraving.It was followed by characters from the Galaxies, Landscapes and Episodes of the crisis of the oil country that paints the faces of Simón Bolívar and other heroes.

Your customers are abroad and pay you up to $ 20 for a piece."With a little corrector and markers I can revalue my coin in almost 5.000%", tells AFP in its workshop in San Cristóbal (west border with Colombia).

On one occasion he obtained $ 250 for a vignette that commissioned and reproduces the color and shape combinations of the Venezuelan teacher Carlos Cruz-Diez, remembers.

To obtain the raw material, it crosses the neighboring country and changes dollars for bolivars in cash.For each green ticket obtains more than 200.000 bolivars.

President Nicolás Maduro denounces the existence of Colombian mafias that speculate with the Bolívar to enrich themselves, generating deep distortions.

While José found a prosperous business with his "Money Art", Wilmer, who still does not decide to sell his accessories, makes a carnival costume for his daughter."These bundles are not used to buy anything, at least I use them not to throw them away".

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