Venezuela: continuation of the blackout that has already caused the death of 15 people who were to receive dialysis

Without electricity, water, secretly, Venezuelans meet three days Sunday. An unprecedented power outage has left 15 patients dead and threatens to continue indefinitely, compounding the anxiety of the serious political and economic crisis that is hitting the oil country.

The mbadive suspension of electricity service, the worst recorded in this country of 30 million inhabitants, began Thursday at 16:30 local (20:53 GMT), taking dramatic tones: the dead are kidney patients who can not be dialysed, according to the NGO Codevida.

Hospitals with generators use them in case of emergency. "It's horrible, everything is dark, only certain areas have a power plant they had to use because the hospital was not working," said Sol Dos Santos, 22, of AFP.

The country is practically paralyzed with closed companies and few means of transport, without work or school activities. Among the population, anxiety grows because food begins to be damaged and water is scarce.

"I spent three nights in anguish, I'm very worried because this situation is not resolved, the little food we have in the fridge will spoil us … How many Time will we endure that? "Francisca told AFP. Rojas, a 62-year-old retiree living in eastern Caracas.

The energy crisis has become the new impetus for power between President Nicolás Maduro and the leader of the opposition, Juan Guaidó, a head of parliament recognized by more than 50 countries as acting president from Venezuela.

Maduro denounced "electromagnetic attacks" on the "brain" of the Guri hydroelectric plant, located in the state of Bolívar (in the south), the largest in Venezuela and the second in Latin America, after Itaipú (Brazil -Paraguay).

Guaidó and experts criticize the government for lack of investment and maintenance, and corruption, in the face of recurrent interruptions of electricity service, mainly in the interior of the country, but the authorities denounce acts of "sabotage" constant.

From bad to worse

The huge power outage comes to punish even more a population suffering from shortage of drugs and food and hyperinflation.

"Every day worse, we have the worst services in the world: no electricity, no water, sometimes no gas," told AFP Edward Cazano, 20, who lives with his mother and three brothers in the neighborhood of Caracas in Pinto. Salinas

Many supermarkets are closed because they do not have a power station. No one can withdraw cash from ATMs or use any type of card, in a country where electronic transactions are vital, even for small operations, because there is no money.

According to the UN, in a country with an exodus of 2.7 million Venezuelans since 2015, incommunicado detention is trying. While trying to receive a signal from their cell phones, many cars are parked at the edge of the Francisco Fajardo highway, the main one in Caracas, where there are repeaters nearby.

"I have my son and my brother out of Venezuela, and they want to know about us, and I want to see news," said Bernardette Ramírez to AFP.

In Caracas and its suburbs, where six million people live, the metro was still suspended, forcing the inhabitants to take long walks. Long lines of cars are formed in a few functioning petrol stations, fearing that gasoline will soon be missing.

Dozens of people are still stranded at Maiquetía International Airport due to the suspension of several flights.

"The airport has no water, I went three times to see if my flight was leaving, I'm going to Miami because my brother had an accident, but I'm coming back, these pods are not going to piss me off. leave these carajos (government), "said Rossy Fernández, 62, who lives in the east of Caracas.

No solution in sight

The service was only restored a few hours during these three days. According to the Corpoelec electricity company, 40% of the inhabitants of Caracas have electricity. The cut affects the capital and 22 of the country's 23 states.

In its first public appearance since the start of the blackout, Maduro said Saturday in front of a crowd of supporters in Caracas that progress had been made in reconnecting nearly 70 percent of the country, but another attack, "toppled everything what had been accomplished.

Before the prolongation of the crisis, the socialist president announced the distribution of subsidized food in popular neighborhoods, water badistance and hospitals.

Reinforcing its offensive in this energy crisis, Guaidó announced Sunday, in front of thousands of supporters, a national tour with MPs to define the date of a mobilization in Caracas.

Guaidó also reiterated his willingness to allow the action of a foreign force, baduring that "all options are on the table", as stated by the United States about possible recourse to military action in Venezuela.

Maduro has a tough confrontation with the administration of Donald Trump, who warns that an badault on Guaidó will have "serious consequences".

"Everything has its moment (…) and I do not wake up for justice," said Maduro at the request of his supporters to capture Guaidó, whom he called "clown" and puppet. "

Minister of Communication Jorge Rodríguez announced that Venezuela would denounce the United States for the blackout and present the "evidence of sabotage" to a mission of the United Nations Human Rights Office which should to arrive Sunday in the country.