Caracas Chronicles

Failures in the national transmission system produced two major blackouts in the Western part of the country last week: one on Wednesday and another one last Saturday.

The electric crisis has worsened in recent weeks, to the dismay of an uninformed population. That’s not all: programmed blackouts are getting longer and Mérida will face a month-long “saving plan”.

We already know this crisis will go on for a very long time. But things could get even worse as Guri Dam is now producing 25% less power, according to workers’ union Sintraedelca.

Corpoelec has admitted the problem and indicated that Guri’s production will return to normal levels soon, but the head of Sintraedelca Alexander Arcia strongly disagrees.

The latest wave of electrical failures isn’t limited to ordinary citizens: Metal industries, oil refineries and even the water supply are suffering the consequences of the ongoing crisis.

The Electricity Ministry got new funding from the National Assembly and continues to rely on the Cuban “expertise”: Electric workers will travel there to participate in union-related courses as part of a bilateral “agreement to form socio-political cadres”. Right, because the best way to fix our faulty electrical system is through ideological indoctination.

The rodent makes it quite clear: Los apagones realmente son la patria nueva…