Venezuelan Authorities Making Efforts To Restore Electricity Within Few Hours - Maduro

Venezuelan authorities are making every effort so that the national electricity supply system can be restored within a few hours, the country's president, Nicolas Maduro, said on Sunday.

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 11th March, 2019) Venezuelan authorities are making every effort so that the national electricity supply system can be restored within a few hours, the country's president, Nicolas Maduro, said on Sunday.

"The national power supply system has been subject to numerous cyberattacks, which led to its disruption and prevented attempts to restore it. Nevertheless, we are making great efforts to finally establish stable power supply within few hours," Maduro wrote on Twitter.

Disrupted power supply in the municipality of Chacao in the east of the Venezuelan capital, home to a number of foreign diplomatic missions and popular hotels, was partially restored by Sunday morning, a Sputnik correspondent reported from the scene.

The diplomatic missions of Japan, Belgium, Spain, Brazil, Switzerland, Germany, Argentina, Peru and other countries are located in different parts of Chacao.

The blackout in Chacao, one of the few parts of Caracas that could boast the presence of electricity amid wider blackout, happened in the early hours on Saturday. Power outages in Chacao affected not only residential buildings. Street lights, traffic lights, and cafes did not work. The only "beacons of light" were hotels with their backup power sources. Locals often came here: some to make a call or send a message, others to charge a mobile phone. However, the hotel management soon stopped letting those who could not confirm their stay.

Approximately by 8 a.m. local time (noon GMT), electricity supply in Chacao was partially restored. Despite this, cellular communication and the internet were still functioning bad. Locals claim that this is the longest power outage in the capital.

The operation of the Simon Bolivar International Airport, the main air harbor of Venezuela, is also hampered by power outages. Over the past day, one flight to Lisbon was canceled, another two were delayed. Eyewitnesses from the scene told Sputnik that due to blackout, check-in for flights and immigration controls are done manually, information displays and baggage claim do not work. The same applies to air conditioners: the terminals are very hot, and the passengers complain about the queue, lack of drinking water and information from the authorities.

The blackout swept Venezuela on Thursday as national electricity supplier Corpoelec reported about "sabotage" at the major Guri hydroelectric power plant. Media subsequently reported about power outages in 21 out or 23 Venezuela's states. Maduro blamed the United States for waging an energy war against Venezuela. Washington denied having a role in the crisis.

Amid the blackout on Saturday, Maduro ordered to distribute food among the country's citizens starting from Monday. Separately, he ordered to provide assistance to hospitals across the country and to guarantee the delivery of drinking water to the houses of Venezuelans.