Widespread electricity outages could become the new normal in Venezuela, experts have warned, as the country struggled to restore power after a massive blackout that left millions without power or access to the internet.
The energy minister, Freddy Brito, said on Tuesday morning that power had been restored in Caracas and at least five states after the outage which the government blamed on an “electromagnetic attack” at hydroelectric dams in the south of the country. About 80% of Venezuela’s grid is served by hydropower.
But energy analysts were deeply suspicious of government claims, arguing instead that years of corruption and mismanagement have eroded Venezuela’s energy capacity.
“This blackout is the result of negligent mis-operation of the power grid,” said José Aguilar, a Venezuelan energy and risk consultant based in the US. “These will keep happening and it will get worse before it gets better.”
Other analysts express similar incredulity. “It’s hard to believe that it was an electromagnetic attack, when you’ve seen years of theft and corruption in the energy sector,” said Geoff Ramsey, an analyst at the Washington Office on Latin America. “This blackout shows government doesn’t have the tools to return to normalcy.”
Some supporters of Nicolás Maduro have claimed that US sanctions aimed at Venezuela’s oil industry have hampered his government’s ability to keep the lights on, but many of those sanctions target individuals accused corruption.
A wave of nationwide blackouts struck Venezuela in March helped drive support for Juan Guaidó, the opposition leader who is heading a movement to unseat Maduro.
Since taking office in 2013, Maduro has overseen a political and economic crisis without parallel in Latin America’s recent history. Hyperinflation could reach 10m% this year, according to the International Monetary Fund, while shortages in foodstuffs and medicines are commonplace. More than 4 million people have fled the country, according the the United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR.
Guaidó swore himself in as president in January, but although he counts on the backing of the US and dozens of other western states, he has been unable to force Maduro from power, and public support for his campaign has run into headwinds.
“Popular sentiment goes against politicians that cannot resolve the country’s problems,” said Dimitris Pantoulas, an analyst. “That goes for the whole political class.”
Guaidó is set to hold a rally on Tuesday morning in Caracas, where he is likely to address the blackouts.
“They tried to hide the tragedy by rationing supplies across the country, but their failure is evident,” Guaidó tweeted on Monday night. “They destroyed the system and they don’t have answers.”