Venezuela experienced 20,325 power outages in July last year, with an average of 655 outages per day, according to data released today by the Committee of People Affected by Power Outages (CAA).
There were 21 percent more power outages reported in July than the 16,768 reported in the same month last year, according to CAA President Aisha Lopez.
Speaking to reporters, Aisha López explained that in the first seven months of 2022 alone, 81,878 power outages were recorded in Venezuela.
The power outage sparked protests in several parts of the country, including in the city of Caracas, where residents of El Recreo took to the streets on Tuesday after a four-day blackout.
The situation has led Frente Amplio de Mulheres Livre Venezuela (FAMVL) to use social media to draw the attention of the National Electric Corporation (Corpoelec) and Electricity Minister Nestor Reverol to the plight of some patients.
“We have information from seriously ill patients who are without oxygen, with a deterioration in their condition. Answers and solutions are urgently needed, ”says one of the FAMVL messages.
Zulia, Tachira, Mérida and Guarico were the states with the most power outages in July, with 3,789, 1,890, 1,789 and 1,002 power outages, respectively, according to the CAA.
However, a survey by the Venezuelan Observatory of Public Services (OVSP) shows that 62.4% of Venezuelans in 12 cities have a negative view of electricity supply and that 29.9% of Venezuelans complain about daily power outages.
On the 13th, lightning caused a fire on one of the supply lines of El Junco (south of Caracas), leaving the states of Aragua, Miranda, La Guaira (formerly Vargas), Lara, Zulia, Merida in the dark. Carabobo and Falcon.
On March 25, the Venezuelan government announced that it had “neutralized” an attempt to sabotage the electricity supply, this time in the border state of Zulia in the west of the country, in an operation that killed a person after a group of “armed individuals” tried to enter the territory electrical complex.
On March 7, 2019, the largest power outage in the country’s history occurred when an accident at the Simon Bolivar hydroelectric power plant left Venezuelans in total darkness for five days.
A year later, on March 25, 2020, at least 16 states and part of the metropolitan area were left without power.
On May 6, 2020, 19 out of 24 Venezuelan states were completely or partially disabled due to a malfunction that also affected the Internet and telephone service. Thirteen days later, the blackout left the city of Caracas and more than half of the country in darkness.
In 2021, according to the CAA, there were 12 major power outages in the country and more than 178,000 partial or regional power outages.
The data shows that the number of power outages in Venezuela has increased compared to 2020, when the country experienced 157,719 power outages, including national and regional or partial blackouts.
The Venezuelan opposition and some analysts insist that some of the power outages in Venezuela are due to poor maintenance and underinvestment in the sector.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal

Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.