The outage is reportedly affecting the capital Caracas and 15 of the nation's 23 states.
Venezuela has been plunged into darkness after a major failure in the national power grid, one that embattled President Nicolas Maduro has blamed on anti-government saboteurs.
Arguing that Maduro is an illegitimate dictator, 35-year-old Juan Guaido—the leader of the opposition-controlled National Assembly—used a clause in the national constitution to declare himself interim president until new fair elections could be held. Blackouts are a fact of day-to-day life, but the widespread nature of Thursday’s incident was unusual. Reuters cited local media and Twitter reports which said the blackout affected Caracas and 15 of the country’s 23 states.
Electricity Minister Luis Motta issued a statement on state television, claiming, “They’ve attacked the generation and transmission at the Guri [hydroelectric dam], the backbone of the electricity system.” He did not specify who “they” were nor did he offer any evidence. Motta also said power would be restored within roughly three hours.
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