Power outage was registered in 21 out of 23 states of Venezuela, local media have reported amid "sabotage" at the major hydroelectric power plant Guri, reported by the National Electric Power Corporation
MOSCOW/CARACAS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 08th March, 2019) Power outage was registered in 21 out of 23 states of Venezuela, local media have reported amid "sabotage" at the major hydroelectric power plant Guri, reported by the National Electric Power Corporation.
The corporation made its statement on Thursday, saying it was working to restore power supply.
The Nacional newspaper reported on Thursday that the country's capital of Caracas had also faced a blackout.
A Sputnik correspondent reported on Thursday that in Caracas, metro lines had been shut down. Moreover, local residents experienced mobile service outage.
Venezuela's Electric Power Minister Luis Motta Dominguez subsequently said the authorities were working to solve the blackout issue.
"We are getting ready to restore power supply as soon as possible ... It could take three hours," the minister told the Telesur broadcaster.
Since January, Venezuela has been facing protests against President Nicolas Maduro.
On January 5, lawmaker Juan Guaido was elected the head of the opposition-controlled National Assembly, which all other government branches have been refusing to recognize since 2016.
On January 23, two days after the Venezuelan Supreme Court annulled his election, Guaido declared himself the country's "interim president." Maduro, who was sworn in for his second presidential term on January 10 after winning the May election, which part of the opposition boycotted, qualified Guaido's move as an attempt to stage a coup orchestrated by Washington.
The United States immediately recognized Guaido, after which some 50 other countries, including Colombia, followed suit. Russia, China, Cuba, Bolivia and a number of other states have, in the meantime, voiced their support for the legitimate government of Maduro. Mexico and Uruguay have refused to recognize Guaido, declaring themselves neutral and promoting crisis settlement via dialogue.
