Zulia energy collapse

An energy collapse in the state of Zulia, Venezuela occurred as a result of the country's ongoing general crisis, and it is the largest of its kind in the history of the state. With previous events in 2015[1] and 2016,[2] the collapse intensified in 2017, when in September an alleged theft of cables left the city of Maracaibo (considered the second most important municipality in the country) and its surroundings without electricity.[3] Since then long and short-term blackouts have been reported, which also cause the suspension of water supply, failures in cable television, telephone coverage and Internet access, among other services, as well as difficulty conducting business transactions, caused by the scarcity of banknotes and the dependence on the large-scale use of the point of sale terminals as well as electronic payments (such as wire transfers) that are deficient in the absence of electricity and the Internet, resulting in closing of establishments, absence of work, damage of food and electrical appliances, the decrease in quality of life, among other factors, which added to the high temperatures suffered by citizens, affect the normal development of the population.[4][5][6] Authorities such as the national government and the government of Zulia (headed by governor Omar Prieto) have attributed these failures to an alleged sabotage, but the opposition and experts denounce that it is due to lack of maintenance, also arguing that only less than half of what is consumed regularly is produced, reason for which there is "cargo administration" (rationing).[7][8][9] The National Assembly of Venezuela, of opposition majority, declared the region in a state of electrical emergency.[10][11] The service has also been interrupted but to a lesser extent in other states such as Bolívar, Carabobo, Falcón, Mérida, Miranda, Nueva Esparta, Táchira, Vargas and the country's capital Caracas.[12][13][14][15]

The Minister of Electric Power and president of the National Electric Corporation (Corpoelec) threatened with the maximum penalty (25 to 30 years in prison) those who commit acts of sabotage.[16] On 28 September 2018, the minister announced the suspension of the rationing.[17] However, power cuts in the year 2019 regained strength, again registering rationing in different areas of the entity.[18][19]

Blackouts

2017

According to the Association of Engineers of Zulia, there were 25 blackouts in two days in Zulia, between 17 and 18 October, because only 2,000 of the 3,000 megawatts needed to satisfy the electricity demand are produced, while an official of Corpoelec affirmed that the blackouts were due to the high temperatures, affecting several municipalities, including Maracaibo.[20][21][22]

On 29 November, during the baseball game between the Navegantes del Magallanes and the Águilas del Zulia at the Estadio Luis Aparicio El Grande, the electricity went out from 7:45 p.m. until 9:15 p.m., due to an alleged sabotage.[23][24][25]

On 24 December, there was a blackout that lasted approximately 21 hours, in response to this, the Bolivarian Intelligence Service (SEBIN) stated "they are sabotaging, maximum alert", also, several Twitter users said "Nochebuena en penumbra" ("Christmas Eve in twilight"), the blackout started at 5:00 p.m. approximately.[26][27][28]

2018

On 11 January, the Llano Alto and Juan de Ávila sectors of Maracaibo were without electricity for 12 hours, and absence of telephone service was also reported.[29][30]

On 15 January, a three-hour blackout occurred in the Raúl Leoni Parish of Maracaibo.[31]

On 22 February, in the east of the city of Maracaibo and the eastern communities of Lake Maracaibo, there was no electricity service from 10 pm until 3 am, the affected sectors were Circunvalación 3, Sabaneta, Lago Azul, La Paragua, El Milagro, La Floresta, Veritas, and La Rotaria; also, there was the absence of electric service in La Cañada, San Francisco, Cabimas and Ciudad Ojeda.[32][33][34]

Due to explosions in transformers, on 7 March a blackout occurred from 1 am. until 6:30 a.m. For twelve minutes there were several fluctuations.[35][36]

On 18 April, a 12-hour blackout took place in 9 municipalities in the state of Zulia, including in the south of the state, in Moralito, 40 km from El Vigía, due to three destroyed substations, object of an alleged sabotage; the governor Omar Prieto affirmed that an "exhaustive investigation" would be carried out.[37][38][39]

On 23 April, a second explosion of a substation left without electricity for 19 hours in several areas of Maracaibo.[40][41][42]

For six hours, sectors of eastern Maracaibo were without electricity on 3 May; when electricity was restored, several slumps and failures occurred.[43][44]

On 11 July, great part of the city of Maracaibo and its surroundings were left without electricity.[45] The deposed governor-elect of the entity, Juan Pablo Guanipa, called the inhabitants to protest against said failure.[46][47]

In August, the capital of the state of Zulia, Maracaibo, spent up to a week without electricity due to a fire that occurred in the warehouses of an electrical transmission wiring located in the General Rafael Urdaneta Bridge, the main communication channel in that region. After the restoration, rationing was applied for four hours a day.[48]

On 31 August, at dawn, there was an explosion at the Las Tarabas substation that caused the suspension of service in the northern part of the city for more than 18 hours.[49]

At the end of August, the government again denounced wire theft.[50]

In September, the capital was again in the dark for more than two days after a reported failure in Sur del Lago de Maracaibo.[51]

Although the governor of Zulia announced that the electric system was stabilized, multiple sectors of the entity were left without service on 29 September 2018.[52]

On 24 October 2018, part of the state suffered a blackout that Corpoelec attributed to a fault in the Yaracuy-El Tablazo line, but citizens reported that the failure could be due to the explosion at the Punta Iguana electric substation in Santa Rita, located near the bridge over the lake, which had to be closed.[53]

On 28 October another breakdown occurred, this time on the Arreaga Central line after the fall of a tree, according to authorities, which caused electrical failures in several sectors of Maracaibo.[54]

On 23 December, the government reported that there was a new cutting of cables and damage to the towers of the Las Peonias substation, which according to the governor of the entity affected approximately 200MW of the electricity system, causing blackouts in various sectors.[55]

Rationing

Until 23 September, the entity was under heavy rationing from the end of 2017 with regular hours of 4 to 6 hours a day, which according to circumstances could increase to 8, 10 and up to 12 hours divided into several rounds a day (early in the morning, morning, afternoon and/or evening).[56][57][58] People from Zulia have repeatedly denounced that the schedules did not notify or respect them, as well as that the constant fluctuations could damage their electronic equipment.[59][60][61] The Minister of Electric Energy, Luis Motta Domínguez, announced the suspension of the rationing on 23 September 2018, informing that the sublacustrine cable was reconnected and a turbo generator with 150 megawatts (MW) entered service for the Zulia state.[17] Despite the announcements, blackouts have continued to occur, to which the authorities have responded that it is due to breakdowns.[62]

See also

References
  1. "Medio país sin luz: Apagón afecta a 12 estados" [Half the country without light: Blackout affects 12 states]. Runrun (in Spanish). 28 September 2015. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
  2. "Venezuela oficializa racionamiento eléctrico por 40 días en todo el país" [Venezuela officializes electric rationing for 40 days throughout the country] (in Spanish). BBC Mundo. 21 April 2016. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
  3. "Crisis eléctrica en el Zulia es por sabotaje de Corpoelec" [Electric crisis in Zulia is for sabotage of Corpoelec]. La Verdad (in Spanish). 16 September 2017. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
  4. "Sin billetes y con hiperinflación, Venezuela prueba a la fuerza aplicaciones para pago electrónico" [Without banknotes and with hyperinflation, Venezuela forcibly tests applications for electronic payment]. Reuters (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 March 2019.
  5. Ojeda, Yasmín (20 November 2017). "Apagones, sabotaje o condición de precariedad" [Blackouts, sabotage or precariousness]. La Verdad (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 March 2019.
  6. "¿ENGAÑO? Desmontan tesis de sabotaje en los apagones" [SCAM? Dismantle thesis of sabotage in the blackouts]. Notizulia (in Spanish). 13 January 2018. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
  7. "Gobierno insiste en sabotaje eléctrico en el Zulia - El Carabobeño" [Government insists on electrical sabotage in Zulia]. El Carabobeño (in Spanish). 12 August 2018. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
  8. "El Zulia lleva 120 horas sin luz y el régimen dice que es sabotaje" [Zulia goes 120 hours without light and the regime says it's sabotage]. EvTV (in Spanish). 13 August 2018. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
  9. "Más de 50 detenidos por "sabotaje eléctrico" en el Zulia" [More than 50 detained for "electrical sabotage" in Zulia]. La Verdad (in Spanish). 24 April 2018. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
  10. Martínez, Sammy Paola (26 July 2018). "La Asamblea Nacional declaró en emergencia eléctrica al estado Zulia" [The National Assembly declared the Zulia state in electrical emergency]. El Nacional (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 March 2019.
  11. "Zulia: El otrora estado más rico de Venezuela declarado en emergencia por la crisis" [Zulia: The once richest state in Venezuela declared in emergency due to the crisis]. El Universal (in Spanish). 29 July 2018. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
  12. "Fallas de luz en Bolívar generan colapsos en los servicios generales" [Light failures in Bolívar generate collapses in general services]. El Nacional (in Spanish). 4 September 2018. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
  13. "Colapsaron los servicios por apagón en Caracas" [Services collapsed due to blackout in Caracas]. El Nacional (in Spanish). 1 August 2018. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
  14. Pérez, Johny (23 February 2018). "El megapagón que dejó sin electricidad a más de 10 estados por al menos 12 horas" [The mega-blackout that left without electricity more than 10 states for at least 12 hours]. Caraota Digital (in Spanish). Retrieved 12 March 2019.
  15. "Más de 27 horas sin luz reportan en Puerto Cabello, Carabobo" [More than 27 hours without light reported in Puerto Cabello, Carabobo]. Panorama (in Spanish). 4 September 2018. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
  16. "Motta Domínguez: Pena máxima para los que corten cualquier cantidad de cable" [Motta Domínguez: Maximum penalty for those who cut any amount of cable]. Panorama (in Spanish). 3 September 2018. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
  17. "Motta: "Se suspende la administración de carga"" [Motta: "Cargo administration is suspended"]. Panorama (in Spanish). 23 September 2018. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
  18. "Caos en Maracaibo: Nuevo apagón deja incomunicada a la capital Zuliana" [Chaos in Maracaibo: New blackout leaves incommunicated the capital Zuliana]. La Patilla (in Spanish). 29 September 2018. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
  19. "Regresaron los apagones por más de dos horas en Maracaibo" [The blackouts returned for more than two hours in Maracaibo]. Panorama (in Spanish). 15 February 2019. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
  20. "Estado Zulia registró más de 25 apagones en dos días" [Zulia State registered more than 25 blackouts in two days]. El Nacional (in Spanish). 19 October 2017. Retrieved 15 August 2018.
  21. "Denuncian más de 25 apagones en dos días en el estado Zulia" [Denounced more than 25 blackouts in two days in the state of Zulia]. El Político (in Spanish). 9 October 2017. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
  22. "Más de 25 apagones en 2 días afectaron a familias zulianas" [More than 25 outages in 2 days affected Zulia families]. Panorama (in Spanish). 19 October 2017. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
  23. "El estadio Luis Aparicio quedó a oscuras por segundo día consecutivo tras apagón en Maracaibo #30Nov" [The Luis Aparicio Stadium went dark for the second day in a row after blackout in Maracaibo #30Nov]. Diario Contraste (in Spanish). 30 November 2017. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
  24. "Apagón dejó a oscuras el estadio Luis Aparicio El Grande durante el Águilas-Navegantes" [Blackout left the Luis Aparicio El Grande stadium in darkness during the Águilas-Navegantes]. 800Noticias (in Spanish). 29 November 2017. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
  25. "Volvió la luz al estadio Luis Aparicio y se reanudó el juego. Gana Águilas 8-0" [The lights returned to the Luis Aparicio stadium and the game resumed. Águilas won 8-0.]. Panorama (in Spanish). 29 November 2017. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
  26. "Apagón en Zulia por tercera noche consecutiva" [Blackout in Zulia for the third consecutive night]. El Carabobeño (in Spanish). 25 December 2017. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
  27. "Nuevo apagón dejó a oscuras a zulianos en Navidad" [New blackout left Zulia in the dark at Christmas]. Panorama (in Spanish). 25 December 2017. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
  28. "Apagón paralizó todo a horas de la Navidad" [Apagón paralizó todo a horas de la Navidad]. Panorama (in Spanish). 24 December 2017. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
  29. "Zulianos estuvieron sin luz por más de 12 horas" [Zulianos were without light for more than 12 hours]. El Nacional (in Spanish). 11 January 2018. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  30. "¿CUÁL NORMALIDAD? Tremendo apagón el de anoche al noroeste" [WHAT NORMALITY? Tremendous blackout last night northwest]. Notizulia (in Spanish). Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  31. "Reportan nuevo apagón en Maracaibo" [Reported a new blackout in Maracaibo]. 800Noticias (in Spanish). 11 January 2018. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  32. "Reportan apagón en varias zonas del Zulia y otros estados del país" [Reported blackout in several areas of Zulia and other states of the country]. Panorama (in Spanish). 22 February 2018. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  33. "Apagón en 11 estados del país se mantiene en Zulia, Táchira y Mérida este #23Feb" [Blackout in 11 states of the country remains in Zulia, Táchira and Mérida this #23Feb]. Efecto Cocuyo (in Spanish). 23 February 2018. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  34. "Apagón afectó al menos diez estados del país este #22Feb" [Blackout affected at least ten states of the country this #22Feb]. La Patilla (in Spanish). 22 February 2018. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  35. "Apagón deja sin luz a Maracaibo en la madrugada" [Blackout leaves Maracaibo without light at dawn]. La Verdad (in Spanish). 7 March 2018. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  36. Romero, Arianna (7 March 2018). "¿Hasta cuando? Reportan nuevamente apagones en varios sectores de Maracaibo #7Mar" [How long? New blackouts are reported in various sectors of Maracaibo #7Mar]. Diario Contraste (in Spanish). Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  37. Silva, Rosa Alejandra (18 April 2018). "Reportan más de cuatro horas sin luz en varios sectores del Zulia" [Reported more than four hours without light in several sectors of Zulia]. Panorama (in Spanish). Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  38. "Zulianos reportaron apagón general la madrugada de este 18Abr" [Zulianos reported a general blackout in the early hours of this 18Abr]. Caraota Digital (in Spanish). 18 April 2018. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  39. Bracho, Daniela (18 April 2018). "Omar Prieto sobre apagón en Zulia: He ordenado una investigación exhaustiva" [Omar Prieto on blackout in Zulia: I have ordered an exhaustive investigation]. Panorama (in Spanish). Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  40. "Explosión en subestación eléctrica causó apagones en Maracaibo" [Explosion in electrical substation caused blackouts in Maracaibo]. El Nacional (in Spanish). 23 April 2018. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  41. Bracho, Daniela (23 April 2018). "Apagón en Zulia se prolonga por más de 19 horas: sin respuesta de Corpoelec" [Blackout in Zulia lasts for more than 19 hours: no response from Corpoelec]. Panorama (in Spanish). Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  42. ""En Zulia no pueden dormir ni hacer oficios por los apagones": Comité de Afectados" ["In Zulia they can not sleep or make trades for the blackouts": Committee of Affected]. Efecto Cocuyo (in Spanish). 23 April 2018. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  43. "Varios sectores de Maracaibo amanecieron sin luz" [Several sectors of Maracaibo dawned without light]. El Nacional (in Spanish). 3 May 2018. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  44. "Mega apagón en Maracaibo #3May" [Mega-blackout in Maracaibo #3May]. La Patilla (in Spanish). 3 May 2018. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
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  46. "Juan Pablo Guanipa denunció apagón generalizado en Maracaibo" [Juan Pablo Guanipa denounced widespread blackout in Maracaibo]. El Nacional (in Spanish). 11 July 2018. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  47. "¡INSÓLITO! Un nuevo apagón deja a TODA Maracaibo sin luz (+Fotos)" [UNBELIEVABLE! A new blackout leaves ALL of Maracaibo without light (+Photos)]. Maduradas (in Spanish). 11 July 2018. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  48. "Parte del Zulia se vuelve a quedar sin luz" [Part of Zulia is left without light]. El Estímulo (in Spanish). 2 September 2018. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  49. "Usuarios reportan explosión en subestación Las Tarabas" [Users report explosion at Las Tarabas substation]. Panorama (in Spanish). 31 August 2018. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  50. "Motta Domínguez: Extrajeron 83 metros de cable sublacustre en Maracaibo" [Motta Domínguez: 83 meters of sublacustrine cable were extracted in Maracaibo]. Panorama (in Spanish). 30 August 2018. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  51. "Otra noche sin luz en Maracaibo y San Francisco" [Another night without light in Maracaibo and San Francisco]. Panorama (in Spanish). 3 September 2018. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  52. "Reportan apagón en varios sectores del Zulia este sábado" [Reported blackout in several sectors of Zulia this Saturday]. Panorama (in Spanish). 29 September 2018. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  53. "El Puente sobre el Lago de Maracaibo fue cerrado por una explosión" [The Bridge over Lake Maracaibo was closed by an explosion]. El Nacional (in Spanish). 24 October 2018. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  54. "Avería presentada en línea de transmisión fue solventada: Corpoelec" [Fault presented in transmission line was solved: Corpoelec]. Panorama (in Spanish). 28 October 2018. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  55. "Omar Aprieto asegura que hay 10 detenidos por ataques al sistema eléctrico" [Omar Aprieto assures that there are 10 detainees for attacks on the electrical system]. Versión Final (in Spanish). 27 December 2018. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  56. "Usuarios denuncian hasta triple racionamiento eléctrico diario en el Zulia" [Users denounce up to triple daily electric rationing in Zulia]. Panorama (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 March 2019.
  57. "Motta Domínguez: "El plan de racionamiento eléctrico será de seis u ocho horas, las necesarias"" [Motta Domínguez: "The electrical rationing plan will be of six or eight hours, the necessary"]. Versión Final. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
  58. ""Plan de carga seguirá entre 4 y 6 horas": Omar Prieto" ["Cargo plan will continue between 4 and 6 hours": Omar Prieto]. Panorama (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 March 2019.
  59. "A OSCURAS - Zulianos denuncian aplicación de doble racionamiento del servicio eléctrico" [IN THE DARK - Zulianos denounce application of double electricity service rationing]. 800Noticias (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 March 2019.
  60. "Continúan fluctuaciones eléctricas en el Zulia" [Electric fluctuations continue in Zulia]. Panorama. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
  61. Urdaneta, José Alejandro. "Usuarios denuncian constantes bajones eléctricos en Maracaibo" [Users denounce constant electric downs in Maracaibo]. La Verdad (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 March 2019.
  62. "Usuarios reportan apagón general en Maracaibo" [Users report general blackout in Maracaibo]. Tal Cual (in Spanish). 29 September 2018. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
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