Venezuelan households face daily blackouts as power cuts spark protests and health crises

In Venezuela, electricity shortages have escalated from intermittent interruptions to daily seven-hour blackouts, affecting patients like dialysis user Onasis Munoz and small enterprises such as Manuel Reyes's bakery. The interim administration of Delcy Rodriguez claims the crisis stems from El Niño, yet energy specialist Nelson Hernandez blames systematic neglect of the power grid and the rising electricity needs of a revitalised oil sector, which has grown output by almost 30 percent this year.

Public anger has manifested in cacerolazos, road blockades and tyre fires, while a study by ANOVA Policy Research indicates 62.8 percent of households now face daily cuts, up from 37.1 percent in 2024. The government plans to add 1,300 megawatts of generation later this year and to force energy firms to invest in their own power supplies, but critics argue that only major upgrades to aging plants and new renewable sources will provide lasting relief.