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Collapse in the Venezuelan electrical system

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Venezuela is crumbling, not only famine, insecurity, poverty, and shortages of food and medicine attack the lives of all its citizens. Since five years ago several areas of the country began to suffer the ravages of the absence of electricity, a situation that worsened about a few months ago.

According to Nicolás Maduro, the electrical failure is due to sabotage of cybernetic, electromagnetic, and explosive attacks in the country's main hydroelectric plant, the Simón Bolívar Hydroelectric Power Plant, also known as "El Guri". On the other hand, the leader of the opposition and the interim president of Venezuela Juan Guaidó assured that the government "stole the money for the investment in the National Electric System". To which the experts point out that this situation was also generated as part of the lack of maintenance, human resources, investment, fuel and corruption.

The lack of electrical service began on March 7, and with this, many people hospitalized died due to the lack of electricity and the operation of electrical devices. This also led to the loss of refrigerated food, drinking water service failed throughout the country. In some states, electricity arrives for a few hours, and in other states it does not.

Fray Ángel Villasmil, OP., Details the situation in Zulia state:

After last month's blackouts, Zulia has been experiencing an alarming electricity crisis. In areas like Municipio Almirante Padilla, people had 15 days without electricity, the same as Machiques de Perijá. In the same way, in some sectors of Maracaibo they have been without electricity for many days.

Much of the northern area of ​​Maracaibo was devastated by the looting of businesses and shopping centers. Although in the south of the city - where our house is - no looting was recorded, at this time much of shops are paralyzed by power outages. Since last Thursday until now we have suffered power cuts for up to 18 hours. In the area of the parish the electricity arrives from 9 in the evening until 3 in the morning. Faced with this situation, there are very few commercial establishments that open their doors and very little what they have to sell.

Schools are also paralyzed in the parish. The schools Cristo Rey, Santa Ana, San Martin de Porres and San Judas Tadeo are not working at all because the they were designed to work with air conditioning. The weather conditions do not permit the best environment to held the school activities without electricity.

Also food is already becoming scarce, because many of these foods require refrigeration. Nor can you buy food for lack of cash and the inability to make electronic payments.

Water was always a problem in Maracaibo, a problem that has now become more acute with the electricity crisis. Thanks to God, the Fathers who built this house made two tanks that give of themselves to store water, although not in the quantities that this crisis that we are living would require.

We commend ourselves to your prayers because here we are and here we will continue, with God's favor. I do not doubt that Fr. Sancho, Fr. Teodoro and Fr. Muñoz, founders of this house, are interceding for us, we who are here in this reduced hour. We continue attending our people, listening to them, preaching and celebrating the Eucharist and the Sacraments. The rest of the time we pray and read.

 

Reference: https://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias-america-latina-47532126

Foto-Ivan Ocando