Made of money: Venezuelans transform banknotes into art in bid to give them value

President Maduro blames opposition party and Washington sanctions for 'economic war'

Venezuelan migrants in Colombia are giving their devalued currency a new lease of life by recycling near-worthless bolivars into artworks.

Food and job shortages have spurred more than three million Venezuelans to emigrate since 2015.

But migrants from the country in the Colombian city of Cucuta have tapped into their creative power to make a living by folding notes into model cars, swans, handbags and purses. The handicrafts are then sold on stalls at a significant markup from the bolivar’s black market value.

Venezuela’s rate of inflation reached 2,000,000 per cent in 2018 following economic measures by socialist President Nicolas Maduro, who claims his government has experienced the brunt of an “economic war” led by the opposition party and supported by sanctions from Washington.