Venezuelan opposition rejects Delcy Rodríguez’s claim that power failures were sabotage

Venezuelan opposition leaders have rejected Delcy Rodríguez’s explanation for the country’s latest power failures, accusing the government of using sabotage to deflect responsibility for a system they say it has allowed to deteriorate.

Juan Pablo Guanipa, a former first vice president of the National Assembly, wrote on X that Chavista officials had spent 27 years blaming others for disasters they had caused themselves. “Delcy Rodríguez, stop being cynical,” he wrote, accusing the authorities of destroying the electrical system, abandoning maintenance and misappropriating billions of dollars intended to provide electricity and improve Venezuelans’ quality of life.

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Delcy Rodríguez, stop being cynical. There is no sabotage that can hide the truth: you destroyed the electrical system, abandoned its maintenance and stole billions of dollars that should have guaranteed electricity and quality of life for Venezuelans.

Guanipa said the government should not blame citizens for a crisis caused by “corruption, incompetence and contempt.” He called for officials to accept responsibility and leave office, saying Venezuela needed a legitimate, decent and capable government. Henrique Capriles, a lawmaker and two-time presidential candidate, also said Venezuelans needed “without a doubt” a new government.

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Without a doubt, Venezuelans need a new government.

Capriles asked whether the authorities would continue with what he called the same sabotage narrative. He said Venezuelans were waiting for a recovery plan with dates, investment and clear responsibilities, while people outside Caracas were suffering “inhumane” power cuts.

Rodríguez, who officially reached eight months in office on Saturday after the United States captured Nicolás Maduro, said the electrical system was being sabotaged and manipulated in protest against recent oil agreements. Those deals included an agreement announced with Washington to exploit a fifth of Venezuela’s reserves. Rodríguez said PDVSA Gas workers had detected gas valves being closed, causing gas systems, thermal power plants and the national electricity system to fail.

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Are you really going to continue with the same sabotage story?

The Chavista leader also blamed foreign sanctions, rising electricity demand, high temperatures and sabotage by “extremist mafias.” Experts and opposition figures disputed that account, saying the widespread failures mainly reflected corruption and a lack of maintenance. The government this week signed an agreement with Chevron and Eni in the presence of U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright, and also reached an agreement with General Electric.

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They close the gas valves so that the gas systems, the thermal power plants and the national electricity system go down.