Massive Venezuela Power Outage Raises Tensions Amid Crisis

(AP) CHRISTOPHER TORCHIA SCOTT SMITH March 8 2019 CARACAS Venezuela Hospitals struggled to get back-up generators running businesses shuttered and families anxiously tried to contact loved ones amid Venezuelas worst-ever power outage Friday raising tensions in a country already on edge from ongoing political turmoil. Much of the nation of 31 million people was still without electricity as the blackout stretched into a second day and patience began to wear thin. This has never happened before" a frustrated Orlando Roa 54 said decrying President Nicolas Maduros administration for failing to maintain the electrical system and letting qualified engineers leave the country. This is the fault of the government." Maduro ordered schools and all government entities closed and told businesses not to open to facilitate work crews trying to restore power. By many accounts the blackout hit 22 of 23 states striking during the peak of evening rush hour Thursday sending thousands of people on long nighttime treks home through some of the worlds most violent streets. Until now Caracas has been spared the worst of a collapse in the nations grid but the outage was still wreaking havoc more than 17 hours after it began.