Bolívar Distorted: The Effects of Exchange Controls on the ...

continue to exert influence, making it difficult to separate out the effects <strong>of</strong> the exchange controls
themselves.
Nonetheless, a general consciousness <strong>of</strong> exchange controls created by the effects <strong>of</strong> the
black market and the multiple instances <strong>of</strong> exchange controls throughout Venezuelan history
have given the country’s citizens ample opportunity to evaluate their effects in their own lives.
Some Venezuelans do not note many differences. Isabel Tovar claims that little in her life has
changed, she has kept her job as a university pr<strong>of</strong>essor; she has not changed her buying habits
although some products seem more expensive. She sees the controls as a necessary instrument to
stabilize the economy. 101 For others, such as Luisa and Cruz, their livelihoods have been severely
affected by exchange controls, to the point where Luisa refuses to buy fruit and vegetables from
markets that she associates with “those shameless chavista criminals.” 102
101 Interview. Isabel Tovar.
102 Interview. Luisa Alvarado. July, 2003.
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