Massive power outage plunges Venezuela into darkness again

A massive power failure plunged Venezuela into darkness on Friday, according to media reports.

People were without electricity in at least 14 of the more than 20 Venezuelan states, news channel NTN24 reported.

In some areas of the capital Caracas, there has been no electricity for 60 hours, NTN24 added.

Power cuts are not uncommon in Venezuela, where the electricity infrastructure suffers from poor maintenance.

But Friday's massive outage reminded Venezuelans of 2019, when the crisis-hit south American country suffered a series of severe power outages.

At that time, the government blamed sabotage actions that it claimed were planned by the United States and the opposition for the collapse of the energy supply.

The opposition blamed a lack of investment in the national grid, poor maintenance and corruption as the reason behind the power blackouts.

Venezuela's Vice President Delcy Rodriguez wrote on Twitter on Friday that she had met workers at the state-owned Corpoelec electricity company to thank them for "once again saving and protecting the national electricity service from the terrorists who continue to attack this vital service."