Venezuelans mock 'useless' banknote Published duration 13 December 2016

image copyright Mundo24 image caption Venezuelan website Mundo24 said it was "Game Over" for the 100-bolivar note

Venezuelans have been trying to think of uses for their highest-denomination banknote, the 100-bolivar bill, after President Nicolas Maduro announced it would be taken out of circulation within 72 hours.

After that time, during which Venezuelans will be able to deposit them into their account or exchange them for different notes or coins, the banknotes will no longer be legal tender.

While people will be given a 10-day grace period in which they can exchange the bills at the central bank, many fear that long queues and the sheer number of 100-bolivar notes in circulation - six billion - will make it impossible for everyone to do so.

Twitter user @RPolicial imagined what his trip to the bank would look like.

image copyright Twitter image caption With a huge number of 100-bolivar notes in circulation, Venezuelans are expecting to have to carry large amounts of the bills to the bank

Many suggested alternative uses for the bills. One of the most popular ones was using the notes as toilet paper, which has been scarce amid the chronic shortages of basic goods Venezuela is experiencing.

image copyright Twitter image caption "I have all these 100-bolivar notes and Maduro has taken them out of circulation, what do I do know? Oh, I can think of something....

Satirical website La Patilla joked that they could be used instead of candles on the Christmas tree and set alight.

image copyright La Patilla image caption A tree adorned with 100-bolivar notes would make for a "sad" Christmas, La Patilla wrote

Others suggested using the bills to play Monopoly.

image copyright Twitter image caption I have nine 100-bolivar notes. I won't be able to use them to pay for parking or the bus, they won't take those bills. I shall keep them to play #Monopoly.

Some compared the short time span people have been given to exchange the notes with the film Saw (Spanish title: Juegos Macabros, or Macabre Games) in which the two protagonists have been trapped by a sadistic serial killer and must complete a perverse puzzle to survive.

image copyright Twitter image caption #MacabreGames You have 72 hours to spend or deposit your 100-bolivar banknotes, Monday is a bank holiday and some shops refuse to accept them. Let the game begin!

Related Topics Nicolás Maduro

Venezuela