MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Power emergency extended for another 60 days in Venezuela

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Venezuela extended for another sixty days the national power emergency which has first imposed last February to address the energy crisis punishing the country. The new extension was published in the Official Gazette 7 June, effective June 8 and follows on the previous 60 days period from April.

The emergency situation means basically rotating blackouts in all the country with the exception of the capital Caracas, plus prizes and punishments for those who reduce or increase consumption respectively.

Taking into account that to reach the objectives established for the electricity sector, immediately, it is necessary to extend the whole of the extraordinary and special measures dictated in the framework of the current emergency declaration, points out the official decree.

The decree also instructs the national Electricity Corporation and its affiliates to accelerate their timetables for the expansion of their electricity infrastructure as well as taking all necessary technical and economic measures to ensure the continuity of the service.

Venezuela has been suffering from a power shortage since mid 2007 when the first unexpected blackouts begun appearing in several regions of the country, and became worse as of 2009.

The country is currently implementing a rationing system that can reach four hours per day in many cities of the country, (except for Caracas) with the purpose of facing a power deficit which authorities quantify at 20%.

The Chavez administration blames the situation on the severe drought, the worst in 45 years according to official data, while the opposition says it all comes down to lack of anticipation and shortfall of the necessary investments in the sector during the ten years of President Chavez.