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2026-08-05 02:54 UTC → 2026-08-06 02:01 UTC ·
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In Since late July 2026, 2026 Venezuela’s electricity rationing intensified, leaving residents without power for grid has been under severe rationing, with daily blackouts lasting five to twelve hours daily. in many interior and rural areas. Outages reached six to eight of six‑to‑eight hours have been reported in Maracaibo and up to twelve hours in San Mateo, damaging perishable goods while residents of Zulia face 5‑15 hour cuts. The strain follows the June 24 earthquakes that knocked out about 600 MW of generation; officials say 300 MW has been restored and halting commercial activity. Citizens protested full recovery is targeted. Widespread protests have erupted in Maracaibo, Maturín, San Mateo, Maracay and Maracay, Anaco, Lara, Aragua, Carabobo, Caracas and other states, demanding an end to the blackouts, reliable service, compensation and a transparent load‑shedding schedule. Demonstrations were staged outside Demonstrators have used pots, horns and burnt tires; police have dispersed crowds in Valencia’s La Florida neighbourhood. The government attributes the Corpoelec headquarters, where petitions called for a dedicated office crisis to handle claims. Authorities blamed generator failures, high demand and damage from the June 24 earthquakes, while Corpoelec officials cited a malfunctioning main generator earthquake damage, and pledged to respond to civil‑society demands. The crisis has historic roots: before 1999 the grid combined public and private firms, generating about 20,000 MW against announced a 12,000 plan to add 4,800 MW consumption. After the 2007‑2008 nationalisation of new thermoelectric capacity by year‑end, backed by firms such as General Electric and IMPSA. Engineers estimate that created Corpoelec, chronic shortages emerged. By July 2026 rehabilitating six thermal plants in Zulia would require US$168 million to provide roughly 700 MW of capacity. A national electricity deficit of about 3,500 MW—almost twice the state consumption of Monagas was under a permanent double‑rationing schedule, Greater Caracas—has deepened public skepticism, with daily outages of up to six continuous hours and multiple cuts per day. The cuts, announced as a 45‑day measure by interim president Delcy Rodríguez, have stretched into months, prompting renewed complaints and demands for recent survey showing 75 % doubt that a published outage timetable. Since late July newly announced US‑Venezuela energy pact will resolve the rationing shortage. President‑interim Delcy Rodríguez has worsened, with daily outages of five to eight hours in most interior states called for nationwide water‑ and up to twelve hours electricity‑saving measures ahead of an expected “Superniño” El Niño event. The crisis, rooted in rural areas. President‑designate Delcy Rodríguez urged conservation on 2 August historic grid under‑investment and announced a plan to add 4,800 MW to the national grid, though no schedule was provided. Unpredictable blackouts forced families 2007‑2008 nationalisation that created Corpoelec, continues to rearrange routines and sparked street protests on 3 August in Aragua, Carabobo and other states, including Caracas, Táchira, Portuguesa, Barinas, Zulia, Monagas, Apure and Mérida. Demonstrators used pots, horns disrupt daily life, commerce and burnt tires to demand reliable service; police dispersed crowds health services, exemplified by a health centre in Valencia’s La Florida neighbourhood. Cariaco operating without a generator.