CORPOELEC technicians working on a power line. File photo courtesy of Correo del Orinoco.
Caracas, August 2, 2021 (special for OrinocoTribune.com)—This Monday around 5:30 p.m. an electricity blackout was reported in several neighborhoods of Caracas. The failure lasted approximately 45 minutes, with service being restored around 6:15 p.m.
On social media platforms Venezuelans reported the incident using the hashtag #SinLuz. Users indicated that the service was interrupted in Santa Paula, El Cafetal, Colinas de Bello Monte, La Castellana, Santa Fe, Montalban, Santa Rosa de Lima, Cumbres de Curumo, Las Mercedes, El Paraiso, La Tahona, La Florida, La Candelaria, San Román, and Caricuao, among other areas, including some sectors of La Guaira state.
After the blackout, the VE Sin Filtro (@vesinfiltro) organization reported that internet connectivity nationwide fell by 24%, with Caracas recording a 29% drop, and La Guaira 40%. Mobile data providers also reported a heavy drop in their service, a rarity during these types of incidents that Venezuelans suffer from more frequently in the last three or four years as a direct consequence of the illegal and criminal “sanctions” imposed by the United States and Europe.
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The blackout happened at rush hour, adversely affecting millions of Venezuelans using public transit and the subway system. Social media platforms reported on the lamentable situation in several Metro de Caracas subway stations. The infamous blackout that affected Venezuela for several days in 2019 also started at a similar time.
#2Ago 5:25pm #Caracas #SinLuz @lmnunez_: Se fue la luz en varios sectores de Caracas y cerraron varias estaciones del Metro. La gente camina de Colegio de Ingenieros a Plaza Venezuela por la ciclovía. pic.twitter.com/vc2qxgRSJg
— Reporte Ya (@ReporteYa) August 2, 2021
The state-owned electricity company CORPOELEC reported that electrical service had been restored with a message posted on its Twitter account.
#Ahora || Gracias a las acciones realizadas por la fuerza trabajadora de Corpoelec, se logró restablecer el servicio en sectores de Caracas, tras evento ocurrido en la S/E Tacoa.
Las cuadrillas continúan en maniobras para recuperar el sistema en zonas del estado La Guaira. pic.twitter.com/1h53wvIBS7
— CORPOELEC Informa (@CorpoelecInfo) August 2, 2021
“Thanks to the actions carried out by the CORPOELEC workforce, it was possible to reestablish service in some areas of the city of Caracas, after the event that occurred at the Tacoa electrical substation,” wrote the enterprise in a tweet.
The message also reported that the crews continued their work in order to recover the system in all areas of La Guaira state.
Featured image: CORPOELEC technicians working on a power line. File photo courtesy of Correo del Orinoco.
Special for Orinoco Tribune by Jesús Rodríguez Espinoza
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/JRE/SL
Jesús Rodríguez-Espinoza
Jesús Rodríguez-Espinoza is an expert in international relations, Venezuelan politics, and communication. He served for several years as Consul General of Venezuela in Chicago (United States); before that, he was part of the foundational editorial team of Aporrea.org. He is the founder and editor of the Venezuelan anti-imperialist news outlet Orinoco Tribune.
