Venezuelans turn to looting in Caracas during fourth day of power outages



  • Venezuelans started looting supermarkets in Caracas on Sunday, as power outages reached their fourth day 
  • Venezuela opposition leader Juan Guaido called for a nation-wide march on the capital to pressurise regime
  • The country will enter fifth day of power outages after blackouts crippled infrastructure, shops and hospitals
  • At least 15 patients with kidney disease died after dialysis machines stopped working during power outage
  • President Nicolas Maduro has blamed the blackout on sabotage and cyber attacks from within Venezuela

Some Venezuelans have taken to looting supermarkets in Caracas during the fourth day of blackouts, which have paralysed the country. 
Pictures reveal that some supermarkets in the capital have been left ransacked by desperate residents as they struggle to find food. 
Security forces detained a number of people who were caught looting on Sunday, with some pictures showing looters being piled onto waiting trucks. 
Armed men were seen forcefully escorting young men and women to the trucks. 
The country will enter its fifth consecutive day of power outages on Monday, which have also forced people to rummage through bins for food, queue to charge electronic devices using a solar panel and buy bread with 100-dollar bills after the country was hit by a fourth day of blackouts. 
Opposition leader Juan Guaido called for a nation-wide march on Caracas to crank up the pressure on embattled President Nicolas Maduro, as the country endured its third night largely without power.
The massive blackout, crippling the oil-rich but economically troubled South American nation, has fuelled the political standoff between Guaido, who is recognised as Venezuela's leader by more than 50 countries, and Maduro, who is clinging to power.
No national data was available about the impact of the power outage, but an NGO said at least 15 patients with advanced kidney disease died after they stopped receiving dialysis treatments in darkened hospitals. 
As of Sunday, businesses remained shut, hospitals struggled to operate, and public transport barely functioned.
The 35-year-old Guaido, the head of Venezuela's National Assembly, earlier told thousands of supporters that he would soon embark on a nation-wide listening tour before leading a march on the capital. 
National Assembly leader Juan Guaido said he will ask the Venezuelan legislature to declare a 'state of alarm' in order to request international aid amid the massive power outage.
Guaido, who declared himself acting president in January, said he has convened an emergency session of the National Assembly on Monday 'to take immediate actions with respect to the necessary humanitarian aid'. 






Venezuela’s opposition leader Juan Guaido on Saturday called for a nationwide march on Caracas to crank up the pressure on embattled President Nicolas Maduro, as the country endured its third night largely without power.
The massive blackout crippling the oil-rich but economically troubled South American nation has fueled the political standoff between Guaido, who is recognized as Venezuela’s leader by more than 50 countries, and Maduro, who is clinging to power.
No national data was available about the impact of the power outage, but an NGO said at least 15 patients with advanced kidney disease died after they stopped receiving dialysis treatments in darkened hospitals.

The 35-year-old Guaido, the head of Venezuela’s National Assembly, earlier told thousands of supporters that he would soon embark on a nationwide listening tour before leading a march on the capital.
“Once we’ve finished the tour, the organization in every state, we’ll announce the date when all together, we’ll come to Caracas,” Guaido said, a megaphone in his hand as he stood on the roof of a pickup truck.
Security forces had prevented the opposition from setting up a stage at their original protest site, arresting three people.
“Miraflores, Miraflores!” chanted Guaido’s supporters in response — a reference to the presidential palace currently occupied by Maduro.
“All the options are on the table,” he said, borrowing a phrase from US President Donald Trump.