Balloons are the new possums
This is the perfect scapegoat for blackouts these holidays
Parts of Barquisimeto and Cabudare were forced to pass Christmas Eve in the dark thanks to electric blackouts. This time though, the blame didn’t fall on an animal but on an object: the sky lantern.
In a written statement, CORPOELEC pointed to the “wishing balloons” (as they’re called here) as responsible for recent failures in electrical sub-stations, along with other traditional fireworks.
Those balloons are now the hottest item in the streets, with sales doubling the numbers of last year. The ban ordered this month by the Caracas Fire Department was simply ignored.
Other major blackout occurred this Christmas week. The explosion of two transformers forced José Tadeo Monagas Airport in Maturín to shut down operations for a day, leaving 400 passengers stranded and causing incoming flights to be diverted to Puerto Ordaz.
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