Venezuela's Congress has issued a "state of alarm" for the entire country following an ongoing blackout that has now lasted for more than five days. The blackout has reportedly crippled the entire nation as oil exports come to a complete halt. Without power, water, food, and medicine have become scarce and citizens are now in a panic.
President Nicolas Maduro has publicly blamed the United States for sabotaging his country's power supply; an allegation that has so far been without proof. Maduro mentioned in a public statement that the United States had used an "electromagnetic attack" to cripple the country's electricity system. The recent power outage has so far only worsened the circumstance of the country's citizens, who have already suffered a lot from the effects of hyperinflation and Venezuela's ongoing political crisis.
Opposition leader Juan Guaido, who has been officially recognized by the United States as the country's legitimate leader, has been battling it out with Maduro over the past few months. Under Guaido's leadership, the opposition-run Congress made the emergency announcement while also mentioning that there is a need for drastic changes as this type of situation isn't normal in Venezuela. While Guaido is recognized as the country's leader by most western countries, Maduro still controls the bulk of Venezuela's armed forces and government institutions.
Due to the recent string of blackouts, food items inside refrigerators around the country have started to rot. Hospitals are also reportedly struggling to keep their equipment in good working condition. So far, more than 15 patients have died as a result of the blackout; with thousands more still at risk if power is not immediately restored. Several people in different Venezuelan cities have even started to gather water from sewage pipes and rivers due to the lack of potable water inside households.
While the majority of the wealthy and middle-class citizens have already fled the country, some people are still stuck inside the impoverished nation without any way out. Since the political turmoil had started, more than 3 million Venezuelans have fled the country. Most of those who had left were skilled professionals that worked on the country's different infrastructures, including its electrical grid. As of the moment, most of the country's thermoelectric plants are operating at just 20 percent of capacity due to the lack of personnel and fuel.
According to reports, the source of the nationwide blackout has been traced to transmission lines from the Guri hydroelectric plant in southern Venezuela. The president of the electrical engineers' professional association in Venezuela has predicted that it may take up to six days or more to restore service to most cities. Meanwhile, the government has so far been rationing electricity to some parts of Caracas and to several oil export terminals.
