Power Outages Hit Communities in Maracaibo, Venezuela and Montería, Colombia

Residents of the Mara Norte III urbanization in Maracaibo, Venezuela, were left without electricity after a transformer exploded on a local pole, cutting power to ten families. The community appealed to the state electricity company Corpoelec and to Zulia Governor Luis Caldera and Energy Secretary Rafael Colmenares for an urgent replacement of the transformer, citing health risks for vulnerable residents during a heat wave.

In Montería, Colombia, the Vallejo neighborhood experienced night‑time power cuts on July 29‑30 due to an overload that damaged a medium‑voltage protection device. The private utility Afinia repaired the equipment, restored service, and warned residents to use air‑conditioners efficiently amid the El Niño‑related heat, recommending temperatures of 22‑25 °C and unplugging unused appliances.