En el ámbito de la teoría económica, la solución es clara, según economistas dentro y fuera de Venezuela. Llevar el mercado de nuevo en la economía, deshacerse de los precios y de los controles de tipos de cambios, así como modificar subvenciones y obtener ayuda internacional. Esto significa esencialmente revertir 17 años de las políticas seguidas por el presidente Nicolás Maduro, y su predecesor, Hugo Chávez. Peor aún, las medidas de rescate necesarias elevarían brutalmente el costo de vida y otros graves problemas a corto plazo.

Venezuelans are dumping their rapidly-depreciating currency at a quicker pace, leading to a staggering plunge in its free-market value, as the crisis-plagued economy edges closer to an outbreak of hyperinflation.

DolarToday, a widely followed website that tracks exchanges made near the Colombian border, reported Friday that the bolivar had lost a quarter of its value over the last seven days.

Everyone in smartphone-obsessed Caracas seemed to learn of the crash at the same time as the DolarToday app, a ubiquitous tool in the South American country, sent out a series of messages announcing the new rates under the headline "hyperinflation!"

Venezuelan currency was trading at around 420 bolivars per dollar Friday afternoon, according to the site. That was down from 300 bolivars per dollar on May 14 and 173 at the start of the year.