MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Chavez ready “any time” to declare “electricity emergency”

The Venezuelan president not only faces a power blackout but also a possible electoral brownout

Venezuela is facing the worst drought in a century and needs to be placed under an “electricity emergency,” President Hugo Chavez said Monday in his new, “any-time” radio program “Suddenly With Chavez.”

Electricity cuts last month were revoked in the capital Caracas after a bout of public outrage, but Chavez said the massive Guri Dam hydroelectric complex on the Orinoco River, which supplies 44% of Venezuela's power needs, is still falling well below critical levels.

“Today it fell another 13 centimetres. It hasn't rained the whole year; it's Venezuela's worst drought in 100 years,” Chavez said on what he called his new “guerrilla by radio” show that will air any time he chooses.
“We're ready to declare an electricity emergency, because it really is an emergency”.

He said the decree would make it the government's top priority to seek ways of boosting the country's electric power supply.

Late last month Chavez announced a special, one billion US dollars fund to develop 59 power generating and distributing projects and 50 operating and maintenance projects in the country.

Oil and gas rich Venezuela, which are also the country’s main export, meets domestic energy demand with electricity generated by its Guri Dam, which on January 31 reached a critical nine meters below normal.

With electricity cuts weighing on Chavez's popularity ahead of important legislative elections in September, the government blames the shortages on the drought and soaring demand during five years of economic growth until 2008.

But critics say poor management and under-investment have undermined the power grid and exposed the failings of Chavez's “21st century socialism” policies during his 11-year rule.

Analysts say power cuts have played a big part -- along with water shortages and high crime levels -- in cutting Chavez's popularity levels from more than 60% a year ago to around 50% now.

While provincial cities and villages are without light for hours at a time since rolling blackouts began in January, an attempt to ration electricity in the capital Caracas last month caused chaos and protests, forcing Chavez to suspend it.

Given the desperate situation, though, the government may try again in Caracas soon. Ill planning last time had traffic lights, hospitals, emergencies and shopping malls in the blackout list.

Energy Minister Ali Rodriguez, appointed after the previous minister was fired over the power crisis, said over the weekend that the country had achieved only a four percent cut in energy use in recent weeks, despite aiming for 20%.

A report by Edelca, one of the companies that form part of state-run power firm Corpoelec, has predicted the closure of the El Guri reservoir, which provides 44% of national demand, if the drought continues during 2010 and levels of consumption are not drastically reduced.

Electricity demand has increased by 38% since 2003 to an average of 14,100 megawatts in 2009. The government calculates the current deficit as 1,600 megawatts.