From soaring inflation to a shortage of food to unemployment. It’s been one hardship after another for Venezuela. Even the usually reliable power source, hydroelectricity, is failing.

Since the 1980’s, Venezuela has been heavily dependent on hydroelectric power. But this year, a combination of drought, maintenance issues, and rising demand led to a dramatic fall in the water levels at all the country’s main reservoirs, and unpopular power rationing.

One of the most obvious signs of that drought is in western Venezuela.

In the state of Tachira, a long-submerged valley is no longer below water. CCTV’s Stephen Gibbs reports.