The Latin American Reserve Fund, or FLAR, on July 22authorized a three-year loan of $482.5 million to Venezuela, Bloomberg Newsreported.

The amount is lower than the $1 billion Venezuela was reportedly lookingto borrow from FLAR, which would be used to boost its dwindling internationalreserves. The country's Supreme Court on July 21 allowed its central bank toborrow a loan from a multilateral agency without the congress' approval.

FLAR is a fund made up of eight Latin American centralbanks, including those of Bolivia, Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador, Uruguay,Paraguay and Costa Rica.