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To South America now. In the midst of massive protests, political upheaval and skyrocketing inflation the struggles of many Venezuelans recently got worse when the power went out. 70% of Venezuela has been without electricity at some point since last week. As the country's economic crisis has gotten worse, blackouts have been becoming increasingly common but one this big is rare. President Nicolas Maduro said the U.S. was behind it. He blames America for sabotaging Venezuela's network through a cyber attack. Juan Guaido who's declared himself the new leader of Venezuela, says that's nonsense because the country's main power plant isn't online. He and the U.S. say that quote "incompetence" of Maduro's government is to blame. Both Venezuelan leaders have called for rallies in the nation's capital.
PAULA NEWTON: Well the piece of good news comes from the lights that you see behind me. It seems that this city, this country is just beginning to recover. But the toll it has taken already in a country crippled by acute shortages of food, medicine and now this — we have heard stories of so many people just struggling to survive, especially in those hospitals that were already facing so much adversity. Today we heard from many, many people said look, the power must come back on. We are running out of everything. We have spoiled food in our homes and no way to really figure out how to get more food and quite frankly, the money to get more food into our homes.
Right now, the government has said that Monday, again, everyone should stay home — schools, businesses, the government is closed. People again will continue to try and recover. Politically the opposition still continues to say this was mismanagement on the government side. President Maduro though continuing to hold to his line, saying that this was indeed sabotage. One thing is for sure — the hydro system, the electricity system in this country is in dire need of repair. And in the middle of a drought, Venezuelans know while this blackout may be over for now or at least beginning to be over, they know that they risk more blackouts to come — and of course more struggles.
Paula Newton, cnn, Caracas.
