Water and power cuts rattle Venezuelans 

Source: Reuters

A wave of power and water cuts in Venezuela is testing people's patience, stirring sporadic protests and challenging President Hugo Chavez's popularity in his strongholds.

The rationing, which looks set to go on for months, has caused widespread inconvenience across the South American oil-exporting nation, even causing unrest in poor areas where there is broad support for the leftist Venezuelan leader.

In the sweltering eastern city of Puerto La Cruz, inhabitants of the poor Marino neighborhood bang pots and pans every time the power goes out. When they got really fed up during a recent two-day outage, they marched to the local electricity firm's office, burning tires and hurling rocks.

"I only have a bit of food, and it's going to go rotten!" said one protester Maribel Taberoa, 50, worried about the few provisions she had managed to buy with her cleaner's wage.

Chavez's government is blaming the worst drought in decades for the rationing, but opposition parties say chaotic management during his 10 years in power are the reason.

Surveys show the cuts and rationing are starting to show up as among Venezuelans' main concerns.

Chavez is most popular in poor and rural areas, but his overall approval ratings have dropped from above 60% in early 2009 to around 50% now, according to pollsters.

With important legislative elections scheduled for September 2010, both the government and the opposition have gone into high gear trying to explain the problem.

While Venezuelans have experienced water shortages before during times of low rainfall, the power cuts are the worst many in the country of 28 million can remember.

Authorities do admit a delay in investments, though they say electricity demand has risen unexpectedly high. The state-run National Electric Corporation says it is running a 3% deficit in supply for 2009,

Three-minute showers?

In a series of TV appearances, Chavez has blamed climate change - which is believed to have caused the driest "rainy season" season in Venezuela in 40 years - and frivolous bathroom habits for the water shortages.

He recently called on Venezuelans to stop singing in the shower and to get in and out quickly to conserve water.

"Some people sing in the shower half an hour. No kids, three minutes is more than enough. I've counted, three minutes, and I don't stink," he said during a televised Cabinet meeting.

Formal water rationing began in Caracas this week, with warnings that it could last well into 2010.

Hidrocapital, the state water company, announced "programmed interruptions" of up to 48 hours in some areas of Caracas and vowed that people who waste water will face fines of five times the value of the water.

Pro-opposition newspapers have been full of pictures of people washing and bathing in streams from the nearby Avila mountain, which towers over Caracas.

Chavez has already begun his campaign to maintain his hold over the National Assembly in a September 2010 vote, and thus continue the advance of his "socialist revolution".

His opponents, who hope to return to the legislature after boycotting the vote five years ago, predict the power and water cuts may last for months or even years.

While a political blame-game rages -- with some Chavez die-hards even saying "enemies of the revolution" are sabotaging services -- people in Marino still believe in their leader.

"It's not the president's fault. It's (electricity firm) Eleoriente's fault. They say it's sabotage to harm the people, so they will get mad at the president," said Taberoa.

As in the past, the opposition, which has won only one of 11 national votes during Chavez' time in power, is yet to find a way to make significant political capital from the issue.

It is Chavez making the headlines with calls for campaigns to save energy and water, and promises to turn off light bulbs wherever he goes, including his office.

"Power and water rationing will take a toll on government, but not hurt its electoral prospects," said Eurasia Group's Latin America analyst Patrick Esteruelas.

"Chavez's approval ratings remain relatively strong ... and will probably recover as the government takes advantage of higher oil prices to increase public spending."

In Puerto La Cruz, the Laura Vicuna school prepared itself for a scheduled power cut by heating the children's lunch in advance during the morning.

Teachers resigned themselves to dealing with students' bad tempers, and their own, due to no air conditioning in a region with average temperatures of around 30 degrees Celsius.

Authorities in the local Anzoategui region say programmed power cuts will prevent a collapse of the system there, while new investments will provide solutions going forward.

Not all, however, accept the official line.

"Chavez, pay the bill!" shouted one woman in the sudden darkness of a restaurant, drawing laughter from fellow diners.