Venezuelans woke up to a fourth day of an unprecedented nationwide blackout on Sunday, leaving residents concerned about the impacts of the lack of electricity on the South American country's health, communications and transport systems.
Socialist President Nicolas Maduro - who is facing a challenge to his rule by the leader of the opposition-led congress, Juan Guaido - has blamed the blackout on an act of 'sabotage' by the United States at the Guri hydroelectric dam, but experts say it is the outcome of years of underinvestment.
'The national electrical system has been subject to multiple cyberattacks,' Maduro wrote on Twitter on Sunday. 'However, we are making huge efforts to restore stable and definitive supply in the coming hours.'
People are arrested by security forces after looting during an ongoing blackout in Caracas, Venezuela
Security forces are seen after as people loot during an ongoing blackout in Caracas
Damage is seen in a supermarket after it was looted during an ongoing blackout in Caracas
A view of a dark street in Caracas, Venezuela. The Government of Nicolas Maduro announced a suspension of classes and work activities for the second time during the blackout that has exceeded 72 hours
Partial view of the neighborhood Petare hill -where electric power has been restored during the third day of a power outage
It's so dark in Caracas that you can now even see the stars once again in this city of two million people
Guaido invoked the constitution to assume an interim presidency in January, arguing that Maduro's 2018 re-election was fraudulent. He has been recognized as Venezuela's legitimate leader by the United States and most Western countries.
Despite pressure from frequent opposition marches and U.S. sanctions on the country's vital oil sector, Maduro is not open to negotiations on ending the political impasse and seems intent on trying to stay put, said Elliott Abrams, the Trump administration's envoy for Venezuela.
The blackout, which began Thursday afternoon, increased frustration among Venezuelans already suffering widespread food and medicine shortages, as the once-prosperous OPEC nation's economy suffers a hyperinflationary collapse.
Food rotted in refrigerators, people walked for miles to work with the Caracas subway down, and relatives abroad anxiously waited for updates from family members with telephone and internet signals intermittent.
A view of a road without light in Caracas. Some areas of Caracas have electricity intermittently as can be seen in the distance
Damage is seen in a supermarket after it was looted during an ongoing blackout in Caracas
People have been looting businesses after becoming desperate for food and essentials
Men lie down on a street as they are detained by security forces after looting during an ongoing blackout
A woman is detained by security forces after looting during an ongoing blackout
The woman screams as she is powerless to do anything while she is being detained by police
'What can you do without electricity?' said Leonel Gutierrez, a 47-year-old systems technician, as he carried his six-month-old daughter on his way to buy groceries. 'The food we have has gone bad.'
Lines formed outside the few Caracas gas stations with open pumps, while many motorists stopped along the sides of highways to use their mobile phones in the few areas of the city with signal.
Some bakeries, supermarkets and restaurants were open and running on backup generators, according to Reuters witnesses. Many were asking customers to pay in U.S. dollar bills, since debit card payment systems were not working reliably and local bolivar notes have been scarce for years.
'Customers are buying drinks, batteries and cookies, but we are out of water,' said Belgica Zepeda, a salesperson at a Caracas pharmacy.
At hospitals, the lack of power combined with the absence or poor performance of backup generators led to the death of 17 patients across the country, non-governmental organization Doctors for Health said on Saturday. Reuters was unable to independently verify the figure, and the government's Information Ministry did not respond to requests for comment.
A security officer with a weapon stands near detained people lying on the street after looting broke out
Men sit on a street as they are detained by security forces after looting
A shop owner gestures after people looted his shop, during an ongoing blackout in Caracas in Caracas
A man is detained by security forces after looting broke out
A woman reacts as security forces arrest people after looting
A man is detained by security forces after looting broke out during an ongoing blackout in Caracas, Venezuela
People detained by security forces lie on the street after looting broke out during an ongoing blackout in Caracas, Venezuela,
Power returned briefly to parts of Caracas and other cities on Friday, but went out again around midday on Saturday. Electricity experts said that outage was most likely due to failures in the transmission system, and that the government lacks the equipment and staff to repair them.
'One can infer from the delays and the results of the failure that it was a problem in the lines that leave Guri, rather than in the plant itself,' said Miguel Lara, a former president of the state-run entity responsible for the electricity system.
The outage is by far the longest in decades. In 2013, Caracas and 17 of the country's 23 states were hit by a six-hour blackout, while in 2018 eight states suffered a 10-hour power outage, government officials said at the time.
Venezuelans have meanwhile been forced to rummage through bins for food, queue to charge electronic devices using a solar panel and buy bread with 100-dollar bills after the country was hit by a fourth day of blackouts today.
Opposition leader Juan Guaido called for a nation-wide march on Caracas to crank up the pressure on embattled President Nicolas Maduro, as the country endured its third night largely without power.
The massive blackout, crippling the oil-rich but economically troubled South American nation, has fuelled the political standoff between Guaido, who is recognised as Venezuela's leader by more than 50 countries, and Maduro, who is clinging to power.
A youth reacts as he is detained by security forces after looting broke out during an ongoing blackout
People are detained by security forces after looting during an ongoing blackout in Caracas
Detainees get on a truck after they were caught looting during an ongoing blackout in Caracas
Suspects are lined up at the side of the road and forced to lie down on the streets
A security force member stands next to detainees on a street after looting during an ongoing blackout in Caracas
Detainees are seen on a truck after looting during an ongoing blackout in Caracas
A security force member stands next to detainees on a street after looting during an ongoing blackout
A man is seen with his face covered as he is detained by security forces after looting
No national data was available about the impact of the power outage, but an NGO said at least 15 patients with advanced kidney disease died after they stopped receiving dialysis treatments in darkened hospitals.
As night fell yesterday, the power across much of the country - which first went off on Thursday - was still not on.
Businesses remained shut, hospitals struggled to operate, and public transport barely functioned.
The 35-year-old Guaido, the head of Venezuela's National Assembly, earlier told thousands of supporters that he would soon embark on a nation-wide listening tour before leading a march on the capital.
National Assembly leader Juan Guaido said he will ask the Venezuelan legislature to declare a 'state of alarm' in order to request international aid amid the massive power outage.
Guaido, who declared himself acting president in January, said he has convened an emergency session of the National Assembly on Monday 'to take immediate actions with respect to the necessary humanitarian aid'.
Residents of Caracas queue up as others charge their phones using a solar panel at a public square. The city, along with much of Venezuela has faced three days of rolling blackouts and power outages
A cashier counts US dollar bills and Venezuelan bolivar notes received from a customer in a bakery during the blackouts
A supporter of Juan Guaido standing in front of a line of National Bolivarian riot police officers with her hands in the air
The massive blackout, crippling the oil-rich but economically troubled South American nation, has fuelled the political standoff between Guaido, who is recognised as Venezuela's leader by more than 50 countries, and Maduro, who is clinging to power
Caracas last night during the third night of blackouts across Venezuela as the country reeled from a series of power cuts. Opposition leader Juan Guaido called for a nation-wide march on the capital
A street during a blackout in Puerto Ordaz, Venezuela, during the third night of blackouts across the country. An NGO said at least 15 kidney patients died after their dialysis stopped working
The blackouts have caused even more friction between the opposition leader and self-declared Venezuelan president - Juan Guaido - and the official president - Nicolas Maduro
Guaido, who declared himself acting president in January, said he has convened an emergency session of the National Assembly on Monday 'to take immediate actions with respect to the necessary humanitarian aid'
A family resting outside their house using candles to light their home during a blackout in Puerto Ordaz, Venezuela, as power outages swept the country
Supporters of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro are seen in a street of Caracas as they prepare to disperse opposition demonstrators and to lift barricades
Activists had scuffled with police and troops ahead of the rally, meant to pressure Maduro amid the blackout, which the governing Socialist Party called an act of US-sponsored sabotage but opposition critics derided as the result of two decades of mismanagement and corruption
President Nicolas Maduro has so far rejected international aid, using his security forces to repel an opposition bid last month to bring in aid through neighbouring countries Colombia and Brazil
A police officer during an opposition rally in Victoria Avenue, Caracas, yesterday. Opposition leader, Juan Guaido, called for a nation-wide march on Caracas today as the blackout continued
'We must attend to this catastrophe immediately. We cannot turn away from it,' said Guaido.
President Nicolas Maduro has so far rejected international aid, using his security
