Venezuela: Power outage in Caracas region February 6

Event

Parts of the capital Caracas as well as the neighboring states of Miranda and Vargas experienced a large-scale power outage on Tuesday, February 6. The outage caused major transportation disruptions as sections of the Caracas Metro were forced to suspend operations. Mobile communications networks were also affected.

The blackouts started in the early evening; according to the government, power was restored in many places later that night.

Context

Power outages are common in Venezuela, including the capital. According to President Nicolás Maduro, the February 6 outage was caused by an act of “sabotage;” however, past outages that had been blamed on attacks were later attributed to infrastructural deficiencies.

Advice

In the event of a power outage, be on guard in due to possible traffic hazards caused by non-functional traffic lights and keep in mind that crime rates could rise after nightfall in areas without street lighting.