Venezuela: Power disruptions likely nationwide following substation explosion as of evening Aug. 13

Event

An explosion reportedly occurred at an electrical substation in El Junquito, Caracas, the evening of Aug. 13. Social media reports indicate that the incident caused power outages across several states in Venezuela, including Aragua, Merida, Tachira as well as Caracas. Further disruptions are possible in the coming hours as authorities restore power.

The outages will likely prompt short-term disruptions to business operations, utilities, telecommunications, and possibly transport. In the case of protests, heightened security and localized transit disruptions are likely, as are intentional disruptions to telecommunications services.

Advice

Plan for electricity disruptions. Conserve batteries and restrict cellphone use to emergencies in case of an extended power outage. Exercise caution when driving or crossing streets if traffic signals are not functioning, avoid all protests and demonstrations as a precaution and adhere to all instructions issued by the local authorities. For safety reasons, monitor generators while they are operating due to potential fires. Unplug appliances and electronic equipment to protect against surge damage when power resumes.