Lara State faces severe electricity and infrastructure collapse

The state of Lara, Venezuela, is facing a severe deterioration in public services, characterized by a massive increase in electricity outages and crumbling infrastructure. In August, the citizen observatory Activos por la Luz reported 722 power cuts totaling 2,874 hours without service. This represents a 425% year-on-year increase in time without electricity and a 637% increase in total failures compared to the same month last year.

In the Palavecino municipality, specifically in Cabudare, residents report daily outages lasting up to eight hours. These disruptions pose significant health risks to patients requiring refrigerated medication or medical equipment. Beyond electricity, the region is struggling with a collapse in sanitation and road infrastructure. In the José Gregorio Bastidas parish, ruined rural roads and a lack of street lighting have reportedly led to fatalities. Local activists and community representatives have denounced institutional abandonment, noting that the combination of poor waste management and deteriorating roads has created extreme vulnerability for over 150,000 families.