Two-day week for Venezuela's public workers amid energy crisis

By Euronews

Published on 27/04/2016 - 07:55

Venezuela’s socialist government has ordered public workers to do a two-day week, in a bid to save energy. President Nicolas Maduro had already

Venezuela’s socialist government has ordered public workers to do a two-day week, in a bid to save energy.

President Nicolas Maduro had already given most of the country’s state employees Fridays off during April and May – to slash electricity consumption.

Model employees? Venezuela gave workers Fridays off to save energy, but some are secretly working anyway https://t.co/VFxVJPUWN9
— Hannah Dreier (@hannahdreier) 22 April 2016

Drought-hit dam

Water levels are down to critical levels at Venezuela’s main dam and hydroelectric plant in Guri because of drought.

The dam provides for about two-thirds of energy needs.

#Drought-hit #Venezuela awaits rain at crucial #Guri hydropower dam https://t.co/tr9zFwWocy By reuterspictures</a> <a href="https://t.co/GxdeN8JFt5">pic.twitter.com/GxdeN8JFt5</a></p>— alertnetclimate (alertnetclimate) 14 April 2016

Socialism (n): The condition that leads a country floating on a sea of oil to run out of energy. https://t.co/YqSg5jFGl2
— Mark Krikorian (@MarkSKrikorian) 26 April 2016

Maduro under pressure

Meanwhile, amid a deepening economic crisis, Maduro is coming under mounting pressure.

Opposition leaders are starting the process of seeking a referendum to remove him.

“The Venezuelan people want to change the government but we want to do it peacefully and for peace,” said Jesus Torrealba, Secretary of the Opposition Coalition.

“This is why we have these forms to collect 195,000 signatures, which is the one percent that will then allow us to collect the 20 percent of signatures needed, that is to say four million signatures. We’re sure that we’re going to do this in record time.”