Venezuela can now barely keep the lights on

[hack89]

Already buffeted by widespread violence, crippling shortages, and skyrocketing inflation, Venezuelans will be confronted with a new burden in the coming weeks: nationwide electricity rationing.

The government of President Nicolas Maduro said last week that a plan to ration and otherwise adjust energy usage would go into effect to address increasing demand, which has been spurred on in part by a recent rise in temperatures in the Caribbean country.

Electrical problems — including rolling blackouts across swaths of the country — have plagued Venezuela consistently in recent years; according to Reuters, in the past few days 10 of the nation's 24 states have reported power failures.

Generous subsidies allow many Venezuelans to consume energy cheaply, and households use on average 5,878 kilowatt-hours annually, the highest level of per capita consumption in the region. With summer approaching, that consumption is not likely to abate anytime soon. Temperatures have surpassed 90 degrees Fahrenheit in the capital, Caracas. In the western state of Zulia, a record high was recorded Wednesday when temperatures surged to 51 degrees Celsius, or roughly 123 Fahrenheit.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/venezuela-now-barely-keep-lights-142106696.html

Venezuela will become a case study on what happens when you don't diversify your economy and fail to invest in critical infrastructure.

[brooklynite]

1. Those CIA tricksters will stop at nothing...

...now, how are they raising the temperature in Caracas?

[1939]

2. The Karl Rove Weather Machine NT

[Igel]

3. He can just issue a decree.

Nationalizing the temperature and rationing heat.

Before long, we'd be talking about the unexpected glacier threatening Caracas.