Venezuelan Power Outage Sparks Government Blame Game

Venezuelans awoke to a major power outage on Friday affecting the capital, Caracas, and several states. The government blamed the outage on 'electrical sabotage' by opponents. Efforts to restore power are ongoing. This comes after frequent outages in 2019, amid improved conditions and recent political tensions.

Venezuelans woke up on Friday to a significant power outage affecting the capital, Caracas, and various other states. The government, led by President Nicolas Maduro, attributed the blackout, which began around 4:50 a.m., to 'electrical sabotage' purportedly orchestrated by political adversaries.

The communications minister, Freddy Nanez, assured that officials are working to restore electricity, emphasizing that 'nobody will take away our peace and tranquility.' Nanez described the outage as a 'desperate' effort by the opposition to execute a violent coup.

In recent years, Venezuela has experienced persistent energy problems, often blamed on opponents by the government but attributed to infrastructure issues by experts. Although the economy has stabilized and energy disruptions have lessened, political tensions have led to quick accusations following any blackout. Residents, meanwhile, appeared resigned to the latest disruption, which affected daily routines and communication.

(With inputs from agencies.)