An estimated one thousand naked cyclists took to the streets of Mexico City and hundreds more in Caracas to protest the car culture and demand cyclist rights.

The main complaints are that they see a lack of "rights for bikes" in the chaotic street environments of both cities. In Mexico City the sprawling metropolis has tried to raise its green credentials with a series of bike-friendly policies, but an estimated 8 million vehicles clog city streets on an average day making a bike ride downtown no easy feat.

"We are trying to create a consciousness amongst the car drivers that there is also room on the road and we have as much right to it as they do drive in the streets," said Maria a nude cyclist as she prepared to ride.

In recent years, Mexico City, one of the world's biggest and most polluted cities, has launched an ambitious bike sharing scheme for citizens and expects to install 100 miles of bike lanes in an effort to combat the city's notorious car culture.