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On the evening of March 25th, Venezuela was plunged into a second blackout within a month. This happened despite “all the countermeasure mechanisms implemented by President Nicolas Maduro performed flawlessly.”
#Venezuela | Vice President of Communication @jorgerpsuv announces that all labor and educational activities throughout the country are suspended on Tuesday while the National Electric System is being fixed. pic.twitter.com/SLwfln8J8h
— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) March 26, 2019
Venezuelan Information Minister Jorge Rodriguez said that all teams are working on site to restore power as quickly as possible. He also announced that work and school are suspended throughout the country on March 26th.
The blackout was, once again, blamed on an attack on the infrastructure.
“We have experienced a new attack to the transmission and charging center of the National Electric System, aimed to take out the machines of the Simon Bolívar Hydroelectric Power Plant located in Guri”, explained Rodriguez.
The blackout is a fact, despite all of the countermeasures reportedly working. These countermeasures related to the insurance, maintenance, and communication between the different stations, which allowed that in record time almost all the service throughout the country to be restored. Some parts of Caracas and the Metro system in the city are still without service.
The Metro system also tweeted that it had a contingency for such a scenario and it employed it, so travel could be continued at least in part.
#ATENCION Se informa que #MetroDeCaracas restableció operaciones en L1 desde la estación Propatria hasta Chacaíto, se mantiene contingencia de #MetroBus desde Chacaíto hasta Palo Verde.
Línea 2 presta servicio desde las estaciones Adjuntas, Zoológico hasta El Silencio ¡DaleRT!— Metro de Caracas (@metro_caracas) March 26, 2019
“We report that #MetroDeCaracas reinstated Operations in L1 from the station Propatria to Chacaíto, remains contingency Of #MetroBus From Chacaíto to Palo Verde. Line 2 provides service from the attached stations, Zoo to The Silence DaleRT!”
#MetroReporte 09:12pm A está hora la #GranMisiónTransporteVenezuela continúa la ruta contingencia con unidades de Metrobús para trasladar al pueblo desde la estación la #RIN (La Rinconada) hasta la estación Charallave Norte @VTVcanal8 @TransporteGobVe pic.twitter.com/vb0Q5Y18fg
— Metro de Caracas (@metro_caracas) March 26, 2019
“At this time the #GranMisiónTransporteVenezuela contingency route Continues with Metrobus units to move the town From La Rinconada station To #RIN the North @VTVcanal8 @TransporteGobVe Charallave Station”
Jorge Rodriguez also claimed that the alleged attack was similar to the one from March 7th, but this time Venezuelan authorities were prepared.
“Although the attack had similar characteristics to the March 7th event, we had the capacity to respond quickly and the service has been restored in almost all the national territory and in the next few hours all the country will have electricity back on”, assured Rodriguez. He also added that the Venezuelan far-right’s intention does not pursue any political or ideological basis.
The real intention is to attack, generate anxiety, plunge the population in a situation of deep distress to be able to seize power and achieve what they have already done, which it is steal all the resources that belong to the Venezuelans.”
In answer to the accusations by the Maduro Government, US-Proclaimed President Juan Guaido claimed these moments are used by Maduro to “to disinform and create anxiety.”
57% de Venezuela sin conectividad.
El régimen utiliza estos momentos para desinformar y generar zozobra.
Transmitamos solo información verificada y de fuentes oficiales.
En este momento, por lo menos 17 estados afectados por un nuevo #Apagon pic.twitter.com/VVt0PIk3PZ— Juan Guaidó (@jguaido) March 25, 2019
“57% of Venezuela without power. The regime uses these moments to disinform and generate anxiety. We transmit only verified information and official sources. At this time, at least 17 states affected by a new blackout.”
Lo dijimos hace 1 hora:
Régimen busca confundir en estos momentos.
Reafirmar lo que el mundo sabe y venezuela denuncia:
-Seguiremos protegiendo activos de Venezuela en el mundo.
-Falta de mantenimiento y corrupcion del régimen son responsables de tragedia incluido nuevo apagón— Juan Guaidó (@jguaido) March 25, 2019
“We said It 1 hour ago: Regime seeks to confuse right now. Reaffirming what the world knows and Venezuela denounces: -we will Continue to protect Venezuela’s assets in the world. -Lack of maintenance and corruption of the regime are responsible for tragedy including new blackout”
Also, Al Jazeera cited a study by the opposition-held National Assembly and the medical group Medicos por la Salud, about half of Venezuela’s hospitals have generators. In the last blackout, however, many did not work or were insufficient for the needs of intensive-care patients, neonatal wards and dialysis patients.
The objectivity of an opposition-ordered study’s objectivity is, of course, questionable.
It would also appear that some Venezuelans listened to Guaido’s previous calls for looting and rioting:
In Venezuela’s oil capital – Maracaibo, there was heavy looting and violence.
As reported by the Guardian, many “describe the mayhem in psychiatric terms: a collective breakdown that shocked this lakeside city to its core and offered a terrifying glimpse of Venezuela’s possible future as it sinks deeper into economic, political and social decline.”
The looting began 3 days after the first blackout began, on March 10th. But it became much worse on March 25th.
US Senator Marco Rubio also used the chance to accuse the Maduro government of misconduct after the second blackout.
Reports coming in of electrical blackouts across various areas of #Venezuela again. So far not at scale of last one but more significant than the common daily outages.
Another reminder #MaduroCrimeFamily can still carry out repression but can’t deliver basic services.
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) March 25, 2019
He also reminded of the arrest of Guaido’s chief of staff Roberto Marrero.
The charges brought against @jguaido chief of staff Roberto Marrero by the #MaduroRegime is open mockery of what is left of rule of law in #Venezuela.
How does @MaikelMorenoTSJ or anyone in that nations judiciary justify it or the illegitimate “constituent assembly”?
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) March 25, 2019
If the claims by the Maduro government that the blackout is a result of an attack are true, then it would be no surprise that it would be a response to the arrest. However, that comes down to speculation.
It begs the question, however, if the Venezuelan government was so ready with contingency measures in the case of a blackout and even the military was deployed to protect the infrastructure, how did the situation repeat itself? To top it off, the attack was at Guri, the exact same place the first alleged attack happened on March 7th.
Meanwhile, following the arrival of a Russian military delegation in Venezuela, US National Security Adviser John Bolton said that no “hostile foreign military power meddling with the Western Hemisphere,” would be “tolerated.”
The United States will not tolerate hostile foreign military powers meddling with the Western Hemisphere’s shared goals of democracy, security, and the rule of law. The Venezuelan military must stand with the people of Venezuela.
— John Bolton (@AmbJohnBolton) March 25, 2019
He also accused Russia in working against the international community.
The United States sends food and medicine to help the people of Venezuela. Rather than sending nuclear-capable bombers and special forces to prop up a corrupt dictator, Russia should work with the international community to support the Venezuelan people.
— John Bolton (@AmbJohnBolton) March 25, 2019
Lavrov accused the US that “Washington’s attempts to organize a coup d’état in Venezuela and (U.S.) threats against the legitimate government are in violation of the UN Charter.” The foreign minister went on to say that the U.S. is conducting “undisguised interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign state.”
Meanwhile, Pompeo cautioned Russia over the reports of the military delegation landing in Venezuela.
“The continued insertion of Russian military personnel to support the illegitimate regime of Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela risks prolonging the suffering of the Venezuelan people, who overwhelmingly support interim President Juan Guaido,” he said.
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