[16] Much of Venezuela's electrical power comes from a very large hydroelectric plant at Guri Dam that was built in the 1960s; according to the Associated Press, that system "has been burdened by poor upkeep, a lack of alternative energy supplies and a drain of engineering talent as an estimated 8 million Venezuelan migrants have fled economic misery in recent years".
[16] The frequent and common blackouts in all parts of the country result in telephone and internet service interruptions, and problems with access to drinking water, leading to citizen protests over disruptions in daily activities.
In February 2024, OVCS stated in its annual report that power outages have led to daily complaints from citizens; the human rights organization PROVEA said the deterioration should not continue to become accepted and "normalized".
[1][2] As of 7:30 pm,[17] through social networks and mainly on Twitter/X, users reported a blackout that left several areas of Caracas without electricity and totally or partially affected the states of Zulia, Falcón, Lara, Carabobo, Mérida, Táchira, Miranda, Nueva Esparta, Sucre, Guárico, Bolívar, Aragua, La Guaira, Trujillo, Anzoátegui, and Yaracuy.
[18] El Carabobeño, a newspaper in the Central Region of Venezuela, reported that an electrical fluctuation occurred at 7:15 pm VET on 27 August in several Venezuelan states and in the capital Caracas.
[21] The states of Miranda and Aragua experienced power outages on 2 September, with El Hatillo Municipality particularly affected; users complained that Corpoelec was not responding.
[24] Minister of Transport Ramon Velasquez reported that Caracas Metro service was stopped due to the outages, and that over 250 buses would replace the trains until power returned.
[25] El Diario de Caracas reported that "Humiades Urbina, director of the National Academy of Medicine, said that between 30 and 40 health centers in the interior of the country do not have functioning emergency and intensive care units during blackouts.
"[26] Despite reassurances from newly appointed Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello that power would gradually return, Al Jazeera stated on 30 August that residents in cities such as Barquisimeto began to stockpile food and gasoline in anticipation of further blackouts, with eyewitnesses reporting that gas station lines extended to about 5 kilometres (3.1 miles).
"[12] During the 2019 Venezuelan blackouts, authorities of the Maduro administration also claimed that the hydroelectric plant at Guri Dam had been sabotaged,[12] and also blamed "the opposition and the governments of the United States and Colombia", according to Spain's EFE news agency.
[13] Argentina's La Nación states that "opposition leaders and experts, contrary to the theory of sabotage, blame the government for lack of investment, incompetence and corruption.