Venezuela turns to power cuts amidst energy crisis

The country’s energy crisis has been growing all this year and stems from a sharp fall in oil prices, its main export, worsening due to a severe drought that is limiting hydroelectric output. As a result Venezuela's economy is suffering from spiralling inflation, shortages of some basic goods and dwindling revenue from oil.

Making matters worse, Venezuela's main brewer, Polar, also says “we cannot afford to buy grain abroad, so we will stop production.” The company, which produces 80% of the country's beer, added that 10, 000 workers will be affected by the stoppage.

Energy Minister Luis Motta Dominguez said the hours of suspension would be published on a daily basis in newspapers and on ministerial websites but added that “cuts would not happen between 20:00 and midday.”

President Nicolas Maduro has accused the country's business elite of colluding with the US to wreck the economy, yet many businessmen and opposition politicians blame the energy crisis and shortages of basic goods on government economic mismanagement. They also say that tough currency controls introduced in 2003 by the late president, Hugo Chavez have only made this worse.