Inside the Americas

Venezuela is facing the worst economic and political crisis in its history. Hyperinflation and power blackouts are making daily life even more unbearable for a population which is already suffering from chronic food shortages. But despite the country's descent into chaos, some younger sections of Venezuelan society are still managing to live life to the full and are at the same time doing their bit to help out. We tell you more.

Venezuela was rocked by new protests this week as opposition leader Juan Guaido declared the final phase of what he's dubbed "Operation Freedom". He's got the backing of some 50 countries around the world in his quest to take power away from President Nicolas Maduro. But the key to the power struggle lies with Venezuela's powerful army. The military has always played an important role in the political life of the country, taking part in coups that have both toppled and restored power.

In Mexico's Chiapas state, anti-migrant sentiment is growing. The generous help that many locals were once willing to give Central Americans making their way north is waning. This lack of local assistance means thousands of migrants are now finding themselves stranded in the heat with minimal food and water, and with little hope of reaching their goal of the United States any time soon. We take a closer look.

The United States is scrambling to contain a measles outbreak that's on pace to be the worst since measles was eliminated in the year 2000. Cases of the disease have been reported in 20 states, but New York has been the epicenter, with most cases stemming from unvaccinated Orthodox Jews. Officials are taking extraordinary measures to stop the epidemic from spreading. Anca Ulea has more.

Last year in Mexico, 25 people were beaten to death in public, the victims of vigilante justice. Some 40 more victims were rescued just in time. Our correspondents Laurence Cuvillier and Matthieu Comin report from the state of Puebla, the region rocked by the most lynchings in recent years. Warning: some viewers may find these images disturbing.

Brazil's new minister of education caused an outcry among some when he proposed that schoolchildren recite President Jair Bolsonaro's campaign slogan each morning. But plenty of other Brazilians are happy to see more conservativism in schools. They are followers of a movement close to the Bolsonaro administration, and to Evangelical churches which claim to be fighting indoctrination in public schools after too many years of leftist government. Our correspondents report.

Purdue Pharma, the maker of powerful painkiller OxyContin, is paying $270 million to the state of Oklahoma in a settlement. It's the end of the road for the lawsuit accusing the drug company of aggressively marketing the painkiller and helping fuel the opioid epidemic that's claimed close to 200,000 American lives.

Venezuelans have now put up with four years of political and socioeconomic troubles. Access to food and services remains scarce, even though power has been restored after a nationwide blackout that ended last week. The continual stress of day-to-day life have brought many to the brink of mental illness.

As the power struggle in Venezuela continues, embattled President Nicolas Maduro has spoken out, saying Venezuela faces an "epic battle against global imperialist powers" and calling for his supporters to take to the streets. A sizeable section of Venezuelan society still backs Maduro, seeing him as the rightful heir to the late leader Hugo Chavez. Our reporters Catherine Norris Trent, Karim Yahiaoui and Abdallah Malkawi went to meet them in Caracas.

Sixteen US states have joined forces to file a federal lawsuit against the US president's attempt to secure funding for his border wall with Mexico by declaring a national emergency. The states - California and New York among them - hope to convince judges that Donald Trump's attempts to divert cash from their communities to build his signature campaign pledge are illegal. We tell you more.