Caracas, the capital plunged into calamities after three days of power failure – ElSol.com.ar – Diario de Mendoza, Argentina

The power outage that cut services throughout most of Venezuela since the afternoon of Thursday has further disrupted the lives of the people of Caracas who, on the third day, manage to perform tasks as simple as eat, hydrate, wash or communicate.

The desire to stay connected or at least to try has pushed more and more people to be grouped in specific locations of highways or avenues where there seems to be more luck when looking for an Internet connection or phone call even for a few seconds. .

In the east of the Venezuelan capital, hundreds of people have now settled outside the offices of the telephone companies and, some more efficient than others, have been able to obtain information through the telephone. social networks or have reported their status to family and friends abroad.

These points are still topical since the start of the power outage, which the Nicolás Maduro government imputes in the United States, even at night, when the city, one of the most dangerous in the world, dives in total darkness.

When the urge to eat feeds, the options, although limited, are varied and the choice between one and the other depends on the money available and even the region where you you find.

At least a dozen restaurants in Caracas have kept their doors open because they have power stations and have received hundreds of diners who, in the midst of the severe economic crisis, are the exception who can afford these places, most of them who only accepts payments in foreign currency.

In addition, some supermarkets are still operational, although half-way, the rows of people outside that are usual because of the lack of food that saves the country are now longer and thirsty for products like ice cream, coal, drinking water candles.

Specifically, this last element is one of the most sought-after offshore of Caracas and, although the supply is regulated for years in communities receiving running water one or two days a week, after the breakdown, virtually all pipes are dry, so the need is greater.

In this scenario, hundreds of people have thrown, on foot or in vehicles, the jets that fall from sites such as Avila Hill, which borders the entire north of the city, in order to load barrels or containers that everyone is able to load. Wear on the back.

Meanwhile, the task of moving from one place to another becomes more and more difficult as the hours pbad and the power outage persists, the service stations closing their doors and the motorists looking for any point of sale to charge their vehicles, they must wait in line for hours. .

Public transport, which, according to carriers, is almost 80% paralyzed due to lack of spare parts throughout Venezuela, has virtually disappeared in the last 72 hours, making this weekend even more difficult. than any other road from Caracas to the desert.

As in the individual islands or in groups, the inhabitants of Caracas resist all these calamities without any certainty about the possible reconnection of the service or the causes of the breakdown, nor about the damage that it caused in their communities and in the country.

Rumors and catastrophic versions that circulate by word of mouth are multiplying every hour and only exacerbate the anguish of the millions of inhabitants of Caracas who, for the most part, have not no way to confirm this information.

For the rest of the country, Thursday is only one more episode in the history of power outages that began in 2009 and that was only recruited to reach the mainstream current, the longest and the most important.

At least 17 confirmed deaths

The head of Parliament, Juan Guaidó, recognized by 50 countries as president in charge of Venezuela, confirmed Sunday that there were 17 deaths in hospitals because of the blackout that completes almost 70 hours in almost the whole country.

"There are 17 confirmed deaths, including 15 in Maturin, but due to lack of communication, we have not been able to monitor 17 of the 40 normally monitored hospitals," said the chief of the hospital. opposition at a press conference in the Venezuelan Parliament. .

However, in social networks, many people report that the deceased may be around 40 years old, many of whom are dialysis patients.

Since Thursday, March 7, Venezuela is experiencing a major power outage over most of its territory, including in Caracas, starting at 5:00 pm local time (9:00 pm GMT), with short energy returns and intermittent.

The Speaker of the Parliament of Venezuela also announced Sunday that he would ask the deputies to decree "state of emergency" to deal with the "catastrophe" that the country is going through due to the breakdown of # 39; electricity.