CARACAS, (Reuters) – President Nicolas Maduro said yesterday punitive electricity rationing would be imposed on 15 shopping malls and drought-hit Venezuela’s time zone would also be modified to save power.
Many of the South American OPEC nation’s 29 million people are suffering daily, unscheduled water and electricity cuts as levels recede at the Guri dam complex providing nearly two-thirds of power needs. Maduro, 53, whose popularity has suffered amid a national economic crisis and stuttering public services, said some major shopping centers had failed to supply their own generators despite being told to do so five years ago.
“The time has come to take a drastic rationing measure against a group of about 15 malls who did not obey the law and are consuming without conscience at a critical moment due to the ‘El Nino’ phenomenon,” he said, without giving further details.