Screenshot from a video of the fire at the electrical room of the Libertador Simón Bolívar Terminal rail station, in La Rinconada, Caracas, Tuesday, September 3, 2024. Photo: RedRadioVE.
The Venezuelan minister for transport, Ramón Velásquez, has condemned an act of sabotage against the public railway system following a fire in the electrical room of the Libertador Simón Bolívar Terminal railway station, in La Rinconada, Caracas.
Velásquez reported via social media that Caracas firefighters controlled the fire, which started this Tuesday, September 2, at 6:38 p.m. in the electrical room of the Simón Bolívar station, belonging to the National Railway System.
“There was a fire at the power plant, which we do not doubt was an act of sabotage,” said the minister, “given the fact that we have carried out consistent maintenance on all the circuits, plants, and structures of the railway.”
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He added that by 9:20 p.m. the same night, the service on the railway system had been returned to normal operations.
“President Nicolás Maduro ordered us to think of all the ways in which the extreme right can affect the peace of the people,” he explained, noting that “while the fire was under control, we had coordinated a contingency plan with the Caracas Metro and SITSSA [public bus service in Caracas].”
Velásquez stated that this act of sabotage threatens the well-being and transportation services of the population, and so investigations will begin immediately to determine those responsible for the incident.
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He added that the Ministry has photographic records and videos that will allow the arrest of those involved in this act of vandalism.
“We always have a contingency plan. Immediately, when the fire was developing, we had already activated our contingency plan,” he reiterated, detailing how the public services for Venezuelan citizens were ensured to be as active as possible.
The Ezequiel Zamora I Railway System connects the capital with the Tuy Valleys, in Miranda state. Cities like Charallave, Cua, Ocumare del Tuy, are typically residential cities with tens of thousands of commuters using the railway system to go to work in Caracas and return home everyday.
(RedRadioVE) by Ana Perdigón with Orinoco Tribune content
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/JRE/AU
