Venezuela: Juan Guaido-led ‘interim government’ dissolved

Mexico is presenting itself as the new champion of Latin American integration. To do that, it appears willing to embrace the continent's isolated autocratic leftist leaders. But it's a risky move.

For the third time in 13 years, Venezuela has slashed zeroes off its inflation-battered currency, the bolivar. This time, it will shed six zeroes, for a total of 14 since 2008. With that, a million bolivars have overnight become one -- still the equivalent of about 25 US dollar cents. Venezuela's central bank announced the move last month to simplify transactions, with consumers scrambling to make payment for even the most basic goods or services. According to private sector estimates around two thirds of transactions in the country now happen in US dollars. Old banknotes now worth almost nothing have become children’s toys or lie discarded in streets around the country. The once-rich oil producer is battling its eighth year of recession and hyperinflation that reached nearly 3,000 percent in 2020 and more than 9,500 percent the year before, according to central bank figures.

Congo Mirador was once an idyllic spot: a community of homes on stilts that seemed to float on the calm waters of a lagoon in western Venezuela. Now, the community is inundated with mud, a victim of silt generated by the Catatumbo river.

Thousands of musicians are hoping to have set a record by performing as part of the world’s largest orchestra.

An oil producer hard hit by the slump in global prices, Venezuela has seen its economy gradually deteriorate over the past decade, with international economic sanctions aggravating the crisis.

Venezuela is cutting six zeroes off the value of its currency, the bolivar. That's as its banknotes have become increasingly worthless due to runaway inflation.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his Iranian counterpart, Ebrahim Raisi, made the announcement at a joint press conference in Tehran. The two allies have both been heavily hit by US sanctions.

The reopening was a key campaign promise from the recently elected President of Colombia, Gustavo Petro. The Simon Bolivar international bridge had been closed for seven years.

Colombia and Venezuela have reopened their shared border after years of diplomatic deadlock and partial closures. Relations between the two countries have thawed since Colombia's first left-leaning president took office.

Photojournalist Fabiola Ferrero was born in Caracas in 1991 and grew up hearing stories about Venezuela's glory days. Two decades later, she's one of the millions who have left her home country amid economic and political crisis.

Argentinian President Alberto Fernández spoke to FRANCE 24 after being a guest speaker at the Paris Peace Forum, which ran from November 11-12 this year. Fernández also took part in a roundtable discussion with French President Emmanuel Macron, Colombian President Gustavo Petro and members of the Venezuelan opposition.

In 2019, opposition leader Juan Guaido was recognized by 50 countries as Venezuela's legitimate president. Now, with Nicolas Maduro still in power, he faces an end to his opposition-led government.