BBC NEWS | Americas | Venezuela used cars out-price new

Since 2003, Venezuela has fixed a limit on the amount of foreign currency that people and companies can have at the official exchange of 2.15 bolivars to the dollar. This year the government has progressively reduced these allowances in "non priority sectors". According to the Cadivi website, the amount of foreign currency provided by the government dropped from $207m (£138m) a day in 2007 to $137m (£91m) a day in February 2009.