Maduro has designated the United States, Chile and Colombia guilty of the "blackout"

The Venezuelan President, Nicolás Maduro said Saturday that "the attack" of the Venezuelan power grid, he said, had been launched from the city of Houston, USA, and from Chile and Colombia.

The president denounced "cybernetic and electromagnetic" attacks and said that "viruses" had been introduced into the electricity system, which caused power outages since March 7 throughout the country.

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"We have to move on three lines: free the entire computer system from viruses, protect transmission systems and rebuild equipment that has exploded", he said, according to the Venezuelan press and press agency Europa Press.

He said US President Donald Trump "is determined to attack and attack the people of Venezuela."

"The Venezuelan people do not deserve so much persecution, so much hatred, they deserve respect and it will be so," he said.

In addition, Maduro launched a new call for dialogue to overcome the political crisis and urged the presidents of Mexico, Uruguay, Bolivia and the prime ministers of the 14 Caribbean Community governments (CARICOM) to "resume the initiative of the Montevideo dialogue. "

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The Venezuelan political crisis worsened on January 23, when the speaker of parliament, Juan Guaidó, was appointed president after denouncing the illegality of Maduro's new tenure, which was sworn in on Jan. 10. .

Guaidó has been recognized by many foreign countries, with the United States and Colombia in the lead.