After the first 24 hours of the national blackout, voltage fluctuations and instability persist in at least six states of the country, according to reports from residents of the affected areas. Citizens complain about the lack of official information about the causes, the real scope and the estimated timeframes for the restoration of electrical service.
Caracas. More than 24 hours after the national blackout that brought millions of inhabitants of 20 states of Venezuela to their senses on August 30, the situation remains critical in at least six regions of the country this Saturday, August 31.
Despite the announced restoration of service by the Government, power outages have become a constant, according to reports from citizens of Lara, Bolívar, Miranda, Trujillo, Carabobo and Capital District.
The lack of timely official information about the massive failure has generated a climate of uncertainty and despair among citizens, which affects them psychologically and emotionally.
Social media has been flooded with testimonies reflecting the uneasiness of those facing a reality marked by the instability of the electric service, without a clear response about its normalization by officials of the Maduro government, who have been in power for more than 11 years.
Dangerous instability
Chronicle One The report compiled several citizen reports received from different regions, which reveal a critical panorama not only due to the electrical instability, but also due to the associated consequences, such as the lack of water, limitations in access to gasoline, electronic payment methods and intermittent telecommunications services.
The blackout, which began at dawn, specifically at 4:50 am on Friday, August 30, left at least 80% of the national territory without electricity for 14 continuous hours, on average.
In Barquisimeto, the capital of Lara state, citizens reported that the electric service is intermittent, which keeps part of the population in suspense.
The light comes and goes, we can’t trust it to remain stable”said a resident of a downtown area of that city.
This situation is repeated in El Tocuyo, also in Lara state. In that town, in addition to the lack of electricity, the internet and telephone networks are unstable, even though electricity was restored at 5:30 p.m. In some areas, such as the Las Trinitarias urbanization, residents reported the explosion of some electrical transformers when they began to restore the supply.
Ciudad Guayana, in Bolívar state, faces not only intermittent electric service, but also dangerous power surges that put residents’ appliances at risk. “When the power comes on, it does so with such force that we fear for our appliances,” explains one resident.
Night of downs
In Miranda state, one of the most populated in the country, the power outages intensified during the night. In Charallave, the power went out again several times from 8:24 p.m., after a brief period of stability. Guatire has also experienced at least three significant power outages since the initial mega blackout.
Los Teques, the state capital, was without electricity for 11 hours, and although service was restored, citizens report constant instability with strong fluctuations.
The situation in Carabobo state is equally worrying for its thousands of inhabitants. In parts of Guacara, residents have spent almost 20 hours without electricity. “The power kept going out. Our phone batteries were almost dead and even though the power has come back on, there is no water and the phone signal is unstable,” said one desperate resident.
Not even Caracas is spared
The country’s capital has not escaped the crisis. Although in Caracas the restoration of service began five hours after the blackout in a few sectors, in areas of the rest of the country there have been more than 24 hours, as of this publication, without service or with an unstable supply, so citizens believe that the situation is far from normal.
In some areas of Petare, east of Caracas, the situation is similar. “We still have nothing, no electricity or water. It’s like we’re living in the Middle Ages,” lamented one resident of the area. In San Bernardino, northwest of the city, the situation is similar: intermittent electricity, lack of water and the networks of several telephone operators down.
In western Caracas, specifically in El Cementerio, residents report not only a lack of electricity, but also the failure of mobile data networks. “Movilnet is not working and Movistar is very unstable. We are practically cut off from communication,” says one resident.
Catia, on the western edge of the capital, has seen power restored, but the internet is still glitchy, making communication and access to information difficult.
The Chacao municipality in eastern Caracas, considered one of the most prosperous in the capital, has not escaped the chaos. One resident said: “The power has gone on and off at least five times. Right now we are in the dark again.”
Between blackouts
This massive blackout has revived the ghosts of the mega blackout of March 2019which left Venezuela without electricity for almost a week. That crisis paralyzed the country, caused dozens of deaths in hospitals without power and generated million-dollar losses in all sectors of the economy.
The current situation once again highlights the fragility of the Venezuelan electrical system and the lack of investment in infrastructure and maintenance. Energy experts have repeatedly pointed out that the country’s electrical grid is on the verge of collapse due to years of neglect and a lack of qualified personnel.
The government of Nicolás Maduro, as on previous occasions, has blamed “electromagnetic attacks” and “sabotage” by the opposition and foreign governments. However, these claims have been widely discredited by international experts who point to lack of maintenance and corruption as the real causes of the energy crisis.
The opposition, for its part, has denounced the blackout as yet another example of the government’s incompetence. It has therefore demanded an independent investigation into the causes of the massive failure of the electrical system.
Mentally exhausted
Meanwhile, the Venezuelan population is facing the direct consequences of this crisis. The lack of electricity not only affects daily life, but also puts food preservation, the functioning of hospitals and public safety at risk.
Citizens, physically and emotionally exhausted, express their frustration.
“We were 19 hours without electricity, I am mentally exhausted and emotionally unstable”confesses a Caracas resident.
This feeling of desperation is shared by millions of Venezuelans. Most see their quality of life deteriorating, with no palliative other than the militarization of cities and unsubstantiated accusations against opponents.
As the country awaits a solution, Venezuelans are bracing for another day of uncertainty. Candles and flashlights have become essential items in homes, and families are gathering around battery-powered radios, or places with better phone coverage, to try to stay informed.
Fuente: Chronicle One
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2024-09-02 14:16:31
