Venezuela Suffers Nationwide Blackout

HAVANA TIMES — Venezuela recorded today a nationwide blackout that still affects several interior regions as the power is gradually restored, reported dpa news.

The incident happened at about noon and lasted for about 15 minutes in Caracas before power was restored. Subsequently, however, it failed again.

Electricity Minister Jesse Chacon said “the fault has been detected” and concerns a problem in transmission line 765 that carries energy from Guyana (South), which generates 65 percent of the electricity in Venezuela, to central and western Venezuela.

Chacon, however, said that normalization will be a “gradual process” taking several hours so the generating turbines can synchronize.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, said he was in charge of bringing the electric service back to normal after what he called a “strange” power outage.

Venezuela’s government declared an electricity emergency back in 2011 due to the many problems affecting power service, which is still in effect. This year, in mid-August, it decided to extend the measure for at least 90 days, despite the increase in generation and transmission that had been achieved.