Federico Parra / AFP | People protest the lack of water and electric service during a new power outage in Venezuela, in Caracas on March 31, 2019. Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro announced 30 days of electricity rationing on Sunday, after his government said it was reducing the length of the workday and keeping schools closed due to devastating blackouts plaguing the country. Advertising Read more The measures are a stark admission by the government -- which has sought to blame repeated blackouts in March on sabotage -- that there is not enough electricity to go around, and that the power crisis is here to stay. Speaking on state television, Maduro said he had approved "a 30-day plan" to ration power, "with an emphasis on guaranteeing water service." Crippled infrastructure, little investment in the power grid and poor maintenance have all contributed to electricity problem. Add to that the country's economic deep crisis, eye-popping inflation rate and the "brain drain" of qualified personnel -- some 25,000 people in the electricity sector have left the country, part of the 2.7 million Venezuelans who have emigrated since 2015 -- and you have the makings of a crisis with no end in sight. Earlier on Sunday, authorities announced other measures as a result of the electricity shortage. "To achieve consistency in the provision of electricity, the Bolivarian government decided to maintain the suspension of school activities and establish a workday until 2:00 pm in public and private institutions," Communications Minister Jorge Rodriguez said on state television. With no electricity, pumping stations can't work so water service is limited. Street lights and traffic lights go dark, pumps at fuel stations stand idle, and cell phone and internet service is non-existent. "This is going to continue, the situation is very serious, there will be more blackouts and rationing," said Winton Cabas, president of the Venezuelan association of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering. "The whole power grid is barely generating between 5,500 and 6,000 megawatts, when it has the capacity to generate 34,000 megawatts," he told AFP. Who is responsible? The Maduro government has blamed "terrorists" for alleged attacks that have damaged the Guri hydroelectric power plant, which generates 80 percent of Venezuela's electricity. The Guri plant, however, was already showing signs of trouble: back in 2010, then-president Hugo Chavez said that electricity would be rationed in some Venezuelan states because water was low at the Guri dam due to a drought. Jose Aguilar, a Venezuelan consultant living in the United States, says that the problems with the power grid run deep. "Over the past 20 years, the infrastructure has been abused due to a lack of maintenance and the postponing of upgrade plans," he told AFP. Add to that the "de-professionalization" of the sector after Chavez nationalized the privately-run power company in 2007, which led to pro-government loyalists taking positions as managers and engineers. The blackouts have worsened the dire economic and living conditions in a country that is witnessing a political showdown between Maduro and opposition leader Juan Guaido, recognized as interim president by the United States and some 50 other countries. Spreading protests Demonstrations by Venezuelans angry about the blackouts broke out Sunday in Caracas. Some demos, according to protesters and human rights NGOs, were attacked by "colectivos" -- pro-government enforcers that the opposition describe as armed paramilitary thugs. Maduro has given the "colectivos" a green light to contain protests that he describes as violent mobs aiming to oust him from power. Joaquin Rodriguez, a 54-year-old lawyer, was among the protesters gathered in Los Palos Grandes, a once-prosperous neighborhood that has endured blackouts for more than a decade. "Once again a nationwide blackout is affecting our quality of life," he told AFP. "We don't have water, we don't have any light, we don't have internet access, our phones don't work... we are even worse off than we could have imagined." (AFP) Daily newsletterReceive essential international news every morning Subscribe<doc-sep>Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on Sunday announced a 30-day electricity rationing plan for the nation, according to The Associated Press. In an address on national television Sunday, Maduro said the rationing plan would address the nation’s intermittent power outages, which have also affected the water supply and communications, according to the wire service. ADVERTISEMENT Opposition leader Juan Guaidó, whom the United States has recognized as president, has called on Venezuelans to demonstrate in response to the outages, which he blamed on government neglect while Maduro has attributed them to deliberate sabotage by the U.S. “No one can put up with this. We spend almost all day without electricity,” Karina Camacho, a 56-year-old housewife, told the news service. “There’s been no water since [last] Monday, you can’t call by phone, we can’t pay with cards or even eat.” The blackouts have prevented Venezuelans from making electronic payments in several cases. Maduro has warned against further demonstrations in response to the blackouts, according to the AP. Numerous demonstrations, many of which have taken place near the presidential palace in Caracas, have been broken up by armed supporters of the government. Last week political tensions deepened as Russia confirmed the presence of its troops and military officials in the embattled nation and dismissed calls from the U.S. to withdraw.<doc-sep>
Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro on Sunday announced the beginning of a 30-day electricity rationing plan. Maduro said the rationing regime would balance generation and transmission with consumption, and had the aim of ensuring water supply. He did not elaborate on how the rationing program would be carried out. Information Minister Jorge Rodriguez also announced on Sunday that school activities would remain suspended and business hours would be reduced to end the workday at 2 p.m. 'Confronting monsters' Venezuela's ongoing chronic blackouts that began on March 7 have raised the country's misery to a new level. Consumed by deep economic and humanitarian crises, Venezuela still finds itself in a prolonged political standoff between Maduro and self-declared interim President Juan Guaido. "We're confronting monsters who want to destroy Venezuela," Maduro said, blaming the electricity crisis on "sabotage" by the US and the opposition. Guaido blamed government neglect, mismanagement and corruption for the state of the electrical grid. "There is no sabotage," the leader of the opposition-controlled National Assembly wrote on Twitter. "They brought the electrical system to a collapse because they are corrupt and now they can't resolve it because they are incapable," he added. Shortages fuel unrest Angry Venezuelans took to the streets, setting up burning barricades near the presidential palace in Caracas and in other parts of the country on Sunday to protest the power outages and shortages of drinking water. Some demonstrators burned tires and tree trunks along a stretch of downtown Caracas, while others flocked to balconies and building windows to bang pots in protest and shout curses at Maduro. Similar protests took place in other parts of the country, including the central state of Carabobo, where demonstrators reportedly burned tires and blocked roads. Rights group Penal Forum said that so far 12 people had been arrested nationwide in protests relating to the lack of adequate public services. Maduro called on "colectivos" and other pro-government groups to help keep order as unrest mounts across Venezuela. jcg/se (EFE, Reuters, AP) Each evening at 1830 UTC, DW's editors send out a selection of the day's hard news and quality feature journalism. You can sign up to receive it directly here.