As the second major blackout appeared in Venezuela this month, the government told its citizens to stay at home on Tuesday, fearing power cuts and wondering how long electricity would be off amid an escalation in the country’s economic crisis.
According to Reuters news reports, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s government, who blamed the United States for the previous blackout, said an “attack” on nation’s electrical system has caused a major blackout that first hit on Monday.
The power outage paralyzed Venezuelan main oil export terminal and shuttered businesses.
A seamstress in Punto Fijo city, Maria Melendez, said, “I hope that now with these blackouts in Caracas they can do something, that everyone reacts.”
She added, “They used to say that Caracas is Caracas, and everywhere else is weeds and snakes. Now Caracas will also be weeds and snakes if we continue like this.”
The blackout has arrived in Venezuela amid tensions with Washington over the Russian plane arrival in Caracas, which has prompted the US accusing Russia of “reckless escalation” of Venezuelan political crisis.
Referring to Russian plane’s arrival in Caracas, a US official on Tuesday, told Reuters that America believes the planes were carrying “cybersecurity personnel”.
On Tuesday, individuals threw stones over self-proclaimed interim leader Juan Guaido’s vehicle, upon leaving a national assembly session, according to a Reuter witness. US secretary of state Mike Pompeo took it to twitter and said, “We condemn the attack on @JGuaido’s caravan.”