Belize horizons
Those walking through the posh Belgrano neighborhood of Buenos Aires early this Friday (31st) afternoon were caught off guard when more than seven million Argentine pesos (about R$230,000) in banknotes fell from the sky.
The rain of money was caused by an unsuccessful attempt to rob a man identified by police as Juan Cruz, 26, on the corner of Avenida Del Libertador, one of the city’s main streets, and Rua Olazábal.
Cruz was about to deposit the money, which he was carrying in a backpack, with the BBVA bank when around 12:00 p.m. two people on a motorcycle tried to drag it off his back. He defended himself against the suspects, but in the confusion, the backpack finally opened and the money flew through the air.
A neighbor even captured the moment after the attempted robbery, when several people ran into the street to pick up the bills lying on the ground. Although other neighbors came to the victim’s aid, around 70,000 pesos (BRL 1,700) were not recovered.
“People suck, instead of helping the kid, they start joining in,” says the person who took the video. The record went viral on social media.
According to the local press, the money did not belong to Juan Cruz, and he was transporting it for professional reasons. The incident has been reported and is being investigated by prosecutors in the Saavedra and Núñez neighborhoods.
“Even at night you can find thousandpeso bills on some street corner,” joked the host of a Buenos Aires TV station.
As explained by the newspaper El País Argentina, dollar restrictions and inflation by Alberto Fernández’s government led the populace, accustomed to the international currency, to turn to the dollar, which is sold on the streets at prices that can cost twice as much like official exchange offices.
Because this economy is outside of banking, large transactions are made in cash and in cash.