Venezuela to Ration Electricity After Colombia Cuts Gas

[Bacchus4.0]

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-05-07/venezuela-to-ration-electricity-after-colombia-cuts-gas.html

Venezuela’s government announced the start of electricity rationing in western Zulia state as well as water rationing in Caracas to reduce demand on the power grid, a day after Ford Motor Co. (F) halted production in Latin America’s largest oil exporter.

The second-largest U.S. automaker joins competitor Toyota Motor Corp. (7203) and Dutch truck-maker CNH Industrial NV (CNHI) in suspending assembly in the South American country because of the difficulty of obtaining dollars to import parts from the government.

Shortages of everything from water to car parts and flour to pregnancy tests come after three months of protests against the government of President Nicolas Maduro that have left at least 41 people dead. The government yesterday said it will start rationing electricity and water as drought drains hydroelectric reservoirs and water tanks.

“This is another acknowledgment that the country is not working,” Michael Shifter, president of Inter-American Dialogue in Washington, said in a phone interview yesterday. “If this spreads to the rest of the country and becomes a nationwide rationing of electricity, it will significantly cut into Maduro’s support.”

[MADem]

1. How can it not spread to the rest of the country?

Absent a reprieve from the drought, that is, and if Maduro suddenly develops the magic ability to crap millions of dollars each day. He's in debt up to his eyeballs, and he's selling off his oil treasure at fire sale prices to the Chinese for quick cash.

Running the country into the ground....

[Bacchus4.0]

2. you'd really think that the country with the most oil reserves wouldn't be importing energy n/t

[MADem]

3. I know--but they've no infrastructure!

What they should have done is use some of their resources to build a desalinization plant...but that would take planning....

[Bacchus4.0]

4. under the administration of socialist Carlos Andres Perez they did in fact build infrastructure

the subway, the cable cars and other public work activities were built during the oil boom in the 70s. in the 2000s oil boom with Chavez, nope.

[MADem]

5. I agree--but they've got to keep on with that, and not do stupid things, like

plan for farmland where there's no water, or build apartment buildings where there are no water/sewer/electrical facilities.

They need to repair and replace their oil field equipment, too, and upgrade their methodologies--but they need "real money" to do that, not crazy paper that is worth less than toilet paper and losing value every day.

[Bacchus4.0]

6. its the anti-Midas touch, everything the chavistas touch turns to poop n/t

[MADem]

7. Jeez - you've got that exactly right. And it isn't even "good" poop, like fertilizer!

It's the kind that needs a sewage treatment plant!

[Bacchus4.0]

8. haha yes, they do produce alot of bull shit though. Too bad you can't use that

as fertilizer or they'd be able to grow anything