The conditions in Venezuela are getting worse by the day. The electricity for much of the nation has now been out for more than five days. Conditions were already bad enough with a regime in chaos, but now Vox writes:
Hunger rates have skyrocketed. And diseases once thought eradicated have sparked a health disaster.
All of this makes the Venezuela rolling blackout even more devastating. Already, people are drinking water from the heavily polluted river in the capital, Caracas. Long lines have formed at gas stations, which is especially unfortunate considering that Venezuela has one of the world’s largest oil reserves.
There are reports 20 people have died as a result of the blackout, though those numbers are hard to confirm due to conflicting information and a lack of reliable communication in the country.
“President Nicolas Maduro accused U.S. counterpart Donald Trump of cyber “sabotage” that plunged the OPEC nation into its worst blackout on record.”
“The blackout was likely caused by a technical problem with transmission lines linking the Guri hydroelectric plant in southeastern Venezuela to the national power grid, experts told Reuters.”
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says all of this has led the State Department to pull U.S. diplomats out of the South American country:
The U.S. will withdraw all remaining personnel from @usembassyve this week. This decision reflects the deteriorating situation in #Venezuela as well as the conclusion that the presence of U.S. diplomatic staff at the embassy has become a constraint on U.S. policy.
