Electricity rationing in Venezuela has tripled since Chávez declared a state of emergency 16 years ago.

Sixteen years ago, the largest generation deficit recorded by the National Dispatch Center was 260 megawatts, according to official data. Today, that figure is multiplied 14 times, according to estimates by engineer José Aguilar, a specialist in electrical generation systems, who analyzed confidential reports from the state-owned Corporación Eléctrica Nacional.

And users are also experiencing this increase. In 2010, the government published a rationing plan with outages of 2 and 4 hours; now, they can be up to 12 hours in two shifts.

"What we are seeing in 2026 is the largest rationing ever implemented during peak demand periods in the country," Aguilar said.