CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) – Venezuela’s government has decided to extend the use of the 100-bolivar note until Jan. 2, following protests and looting by people angry at being left largely without cash.
Venezuela’s most widely used banknote went out of circulation on Friday amid the world’s highest inflation, yet the higher-denomination bills that were supposed to replace it had not yet arrived at banks or ATMs. That forced people to rely on credit cards or to try to make purchases with bundles of hard-to-find smaller bills often worth less than a penny each.
The lack of currency had sparked social unrest, with looting and protests in six cities on Friday.
On Saturday, President Nicolas Maduro announced that the banknote would be temporarily restored, and blamed sabotage for the unavailability of the replacement currency.