Dolar Blue / Dolar A 500

Overview

Dolar Blue refers to a currency bought and sold outside the formal circuit in Argentina. The term is also known as "parallel dollar" or "informal dollar" and is negotiated directly between private parties (peer to peer). On April 2023 the term Dolar a 500 became a trending topic on social media after the currency reached a peak in inflation of 500 Argentine Pesos. The news inspired a series of memes on Twitter and TikTok.

Background

On April 25th, 2023, Ámbito^[1] website posted an article explaining why the "dolar blue" became a trending topic on the internet. That day, the "parallel dollar," as it is known in Argentina, registered a rise of around $500 Argentine pesos (around 2.2 USD).

The Argentine news website TN^[2] also detailed the high inflation the currency showed in the last month, stating, "So far in April, the parallel currency has climbed $102 (Argentine pesos) or 25.8% and in the last 12 months it has climbed 134%."

Online Reactions

As many financial experts in Argentina expected the dolar blue to reach the 500 Argentine pesos landmark, memes were being posted on Twitter and other social media to express people's reactions to the unfortunate inflation. For example, on April 21st, 2023, Twitter^[3] user @mavica7 posted a parody video about the dolar blue reaching $445 Argentine pesos. The video (seen below) garnered 683 likes and 330 retweets in a week.

On April 25th, 2023, thousands of memes were posted using the hashtag #dolarblue and the term in Spanish "Dolar a 500." For example, Twitter^[4] user @fakealber posted a side-by-side image comparing the moment dolar blue was valued at $40 Argentine pesos and the current $500 valuation. The post (seen below, left) garnered 229 likes and 30 retweets in a day. Twitter^[5] user @ernestoserrano_ shared how he is feeling with a meme compilation (seen below, right) post that received 2,400 likes and 638 retweets in a day.

On TikTok,^[6] users like @alexgaticaoficial posted comedy skit videos joking about the currency's inflation. Her video (seen below, left), uploaded on April 26th, garnered 189,000 plays and 29,300 likes in six hours. TikToker^[7] @emanuelromero245 posted a clip from the movie Eurotrip explaining what tourists with dolars can get in Argentina. The post (seen below, right) garnered 3,200 plays and 194 likes in a day.

Search Interest

External References