In Venezuela, attempts have been made to plunder: food is wasted and Nicolás Maduro's regime demands calm

Attempts to looting in Venezuela stepped up this weekend, in the middle of blackout prologue, the longest in the country's history, which has aggravated the shortage of essential products and hindered the preservation of food.

Some organized flights were recorded to the east of Caracas, where dozens of citizens have tried to bring food and toiletries, according to witnesses from the agency Reuters, while local media report that attempts are being replicated in several parts of the country.

A lot of the products were about to spoil, in the absence of cooling due to power outage, persistent since Thursday afternoon.

However, some 40 people who took the products taken from the shops were arrested by the police.

Adelmary Lira, 23, wife of Ever Soto, one of the detainees, said "We are hungry, I have a baby for a month because it is not fair that my children are in need without milk, without diapers and without clothes. This government has failed us, it has horrible"

The Defense Minister, General Vladimir Padrino, badured that the army was carrying out an "active patrol" and called for "calm" to prevent violence, while other authorities have badured that there are about 500 inmates.

Acknowledging the seriousness of the emergency, which he attributes to a "sabotage" of the United States and the opposition to overthrow him, Nicolás Maduro announced that he would launch a Monday distribution mbadive supply of food, water and gasoline, and ordered special badistance to hospitals.

In addition, the power outage also affected the water supply, an already scarce resource, and many Venezuelans came to rivers or spring streams in the hills to fill their drums or bathe .

Some have used the crisis to earn extra money. In the affluent sector of El Cafetal, in Caracas, a truck sells small ice packs for three dollarsthat neighbors like María Ribas pay with remittances sent by parents from abroad. Some 2.7 million Venezuelans have left the country since 2015, according to the UN.

Others, like María Mendoza, rush to sell papayas and watermelons that will soon be damaged. Abandon the profit and give it to the cost, "at least not to lose all the investment".

(With information from Reuters and EFE)