2019 Venezuelan blackouts
[31] The aging infrastructure made the problems worse,[30] and critics were silenced; a union leader for state power workers was arrested in 2018 by the Bolivarian Intelligence Service for warning that a blackout was likely.[14] The private company, Electricidad de Caracas was owned by the United States' AES Corporation until 2007; according to The Wall Street Journal, "Venezuela's power grid was once the envy of Latin America".[13] Then-President Hugo Chávez created the state-run Corpoelec by nationalizing the electric sector and expelling private industry in 2007;[31] hence, the state has been solely responsible for energy supply for over ten years.[13] Billions of dollars were awarded in contracts for projects that were never completed, leading to international investigations of "high officials of the Chavez regime today persecuted for plundering the coffers of the Bolivarian Republic".[31] Further complicating the technical matters, the administration of Corpoelec was handed over to a Venezuelan National Guard Major General, Luis Motta Domínguez, who had admitted to a lack of experience in the energy industry.[30] In 2016, Venezuela had a severe electricity crisis that caused blackouts, industry shutdowns, and the decision by then-President Nicolás Maduro to cut back on government employees' work hours.[36] Attempts to explain the ongoing power failures, despite the billions of dollars spent, have led to public scorn and ridicule on social media;[31] in 2018, Motta Dominguez said on Instagram, "Comrades!"[31] In March 2019, two Venezuelan citizens—Jesús Ramón Veroes and Luis Alberto Chacín Haddad, who live in the US and have long associations with Corpoelec's Motta Domínguez—were charged in Florida District Court with money laundering, violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, and "misappropriation, theft and embezzlement of public funds by or for the benefit of a public official"; the complaint alleges millions of dollars were transferred from Corpoelec to their Florida bank accounts in 2016 and 2017.[41] Jorge Rodríguez, communications minister for the Maduro administration, pointed to Twitter posts by US Senator Marco Rubio, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and acting president Juan Guaidó, alleging that they demonstrated inside information about the blackout.[14][43] Venezuelan energy experts cited by El Pitazo have rejected the theory that the blackout was caused by sabotage, since the area of the Gurí Dam is heavily guarded by members of the Armed Forces, where it operates a special command and the internal security of Corpolec.[3] A risk management consultant cited by El Nacional dismissed the statement by government officials and assured that the design of the hydroelectric plant system does not allow "attacks" of that type.[51] He said that 90% of the thermoelectric plants that work as a backup if power fails are not operational because of lack of maintenance, or they have been simply disconnected,[52] and that "the most important population centers in the country [had] zero water supply for more than four days.[52] An explosion occurred at an unidentified power station in the state of Bolívar on 9 March, causing additional, concurrent outages that disabled 96%[59] of Venezuela's telecommunications infrastructure.[18] At least 26 were as a direct result of a prolonged loss of electricity,[14] though doctor Julio Castro clarified that this was based on the records of 40 primary medical centers, and the number is certainly higher.[65] Withholding his name for fear of government reprisals, The New York Times cited a "top medical official" who said there were 47 deaths in the main hospital in Maracaibo, half of which he attributed to the blackout.[78] Wills Rangel, a former director of PDVSA, said the Orinoco Belt has not yet recovered from the blackouts; cleaning or repairing pipes that clogged while the heating system that helps the heavy crude move through pipelines was down could take months.[48] Because of the blackout, equipment used to make aluminum at the state-run Venalum, a subsidiary of Corporación Venezolana de Guayana, was damaged and the entire industry shut down.Maduro's Prosecutor General Tarek William Saab announced an investigation of Guaidó for sabotage of the power grid,[92] alleging he was an "intellectual author" of the "attack".[93][94] US State Department special envoy to Venezuela Elliot Abrams labeled this a "breakdown in law and order", and said, "That's calling for armed gangs to take over the streets (...) Perhaps it is a sign of Maduro's lack of confidence in his own security forces.[96] National Assembly deputy Juan Andrés Mejía announced that the legislature had communicated with and sought assistance from Brazil, Colombia, Germany, Spain, the United States and several Caribbean island countries, and asked that OLADE (Latin American Organization for Energy) send a commission to investigate the cause.[97] Maduro said he would ask Russia, China, Iran and Cuba for help in investigating the cyberattack on the power grid,[98] and that two people had been arrested in connection with the attack.[101] He was released after a hearing, and was charged with "instigation to commit a crime", was obligated to appear before the courts every eight days, and was prohibited from leaving the country, making declarations to the media or participating in public demonstrations.[103] A risk consultant for London's IHS Markit, Diego Moya-Ocampos, said to Bloomberg that "the regime is testing the international community and its repeated warnings against laying a hand on Maduro's rival [Guaidó] ... if they can't touch him, they'll go after those close to him."[105] Nicholas Watson of Teneo Intelligence told The Wall Street Journal that "Marrero's arrest looks like a desperate attempt to break Guaidó's momentum ..[110] The BBC reported that Information Minister Jorge Rodríguez "had gone on state TV earlier to repeat the now-familiar assertion that opposition sabotage rather than a lack of maintenance had caused the afternoon blackout, saying hackers had attacked computers at the country's main hydroelectric dam."[122] The statement said, "Only a legitimate government that emerged from free and democratic elections can carry out the reconstruction of the institutions, infrastructure and economy of the country that Venezuelans need to recover their dignity, the exercise of civic freedoms and the respect of their human rights."[123] Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that Russia agrees with Maduro that Western sabotage caused the power outage in Venezuela.[124] President of Bolivia Evo Morales labeled the outage "a cowardly act of terror" and rejected what he called the continuous meddling of the US in Venezuela's affairs.[128] Chavista deputy Eduardo Labrador, representing the Maduro government PSUV party in Zulia state, asked in mid-March that Motta Domínguez, in office since 2015,[129] be dismissed as head of Corpoelec.The rally headed by Guaidó, took place near the presidential palace in Miraflores; The Washington Post labeled the manifestation as "unusual" as it was held in a sector usually associated with Maduro supporters.
electrical blackoutsVenezuelaCorpoelecbrain drainNicolás Maduroelectricity sector in VenezuelastatesRoraimaCaracasColombiacrisis in VenezuelaBolivarian RevolutionChavismoEconomic policy under Hugo ChávezEconomic policy under Nicolás MaduroRefugee crisisEnergy crisis2024 blackoutsZulia energy collapseDefectionsInternational sanctionsU.S. sanctionsInterventions of political partiesPiracyShortagesVenezuela–Colombia migrant crisisHyperinflationCatatumbo campaignXenophobic incidentsPemon conflictSiege of the Argentine Embassy in VenezuelaDakazoLa SalidaArrest of Antonio Ledezma2017 Venezuelan constitutional crisisLima Group2018 re-election campaign of Nicolás MaduroVenezuelan presidential crisis2019 shipping of humanitarian aid to VenezuelaVenezuela Aid LiveCOVID-19 pandemic2022 recall movement2023 Unitary Platform presidential primaries2024 Venezuelan political crisis2013 presidential election2015 parliamentary election2017 referendum2017 Constituent Assembly election2018 presidential election2020 parliamentary election2023 referendum2024 presidential electionProtestsCaracas helicopter incident2017 National Assembly attackAttack on Fort ParamacayEl Junquito raidCaracas drone attack2019 uprising attempt2020 Barquisimeto shootingOperation Gideon (2020)2021 Apure clashes2022 Arauca clasheslargest hydroelectric dams in the worldGuri DamBolívar StateCaroni RiverForeign PolicyUnivisionBolivarian Intelligence ServiceElectricidad de CaracasAES CorporationHugo ChávezThe Wall Street JournalDerwick AssociatesVenezuelan National GuardLuis Motta DomínguezNational AssemblysubstationGurí DamCentral University of VenezuelaCaruachiMacaguathermal power plantsSimón Bolívar Hydroelectric PlantreinsuranceJorge RodríguezTwitterMarco RubioMike PompeoJuan GuaidóArmed Forceselectromagnetic pulsehigh-altitude nuclear explosionStarfish PrimeProject KNew Americathink tankFedecámarasGuaire RiverEl Ávila National ParkCaraboboUniversity Hospital of Caracastyphoid feverhepatitis Apostpartum infectionsVenezuelan bolívarpayment cardsUS dollarMaracaiboAcariguaPortuguesaEfecto CocuyoCaracas Metroelectrical substationChevronInternational Energy AgencyOrinoco BeltCorporación Venezolana de GuayanaAlcasaBolivarian National PoliceBaruta MunicipalityCentro SambilAnzoátegui2019 Venezuelan presidential crisis2018 reelection