What is the main reason Venezuela's power and water shortages are expected to worsen, according to the government and experts?

According to Interim President Delcy Rodriguez, El Niño is already affecting Venezuela and could bring drought before year-end, necessitating expanded power and water conservation; however, experts like José Antonio Robles stress that El Niño is not the root cause but rather an aggravating factor of a long-standing deficit caused by years of underinvestment, deteriorated transmission and distribution infrastructure, and failure to maintain generation capacity.

How severe is Venezuela's current electricity generation shortfall, and what is the primary source of its remaining power supply?

Venezuela has less than 13,000 megawatts (MW) of generation capacity available out of 36,000 MW installed, resulting in a shortfall of more than 1,500 MW between current supply and demand; nearly 90% of thermal capacity is out of service, forcing over 80% reliance on hydropower—primarily from the Guri dam system—despite its vulnerability to drought.

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Beaten Venezuelans Brace for More Severe Power, Water Cuts as El Niño Looms

Beaten Venezuelans Brace for More Severe Power, Water Cuts as El Niño Looms

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