Expert: MRZ - 6/5/2008

Question
What is the best way to handle currency exchange?
Are there any banks that are affiliated to banks in USA?

Answer
There are 2 major international banks in Colombia, Citibank and HSBC. I know Citibank is a separate entity that only shares the name, but an account from the U.S. cannot be handled as an account in Colombia, meaning you cannot make a deposit in Colombia for an account in the U.S. The same if you withdraw money from a Citibank account in Colombia in a Citibank ATM you are still charged a 3% fee for a foreign transaction. I don't know how HSBC handles its accounts.
The dollar exchange as of today is at $1 USD = $1.728,76
Hope I was of help, if there is anything else I can do let me know.
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Marta