Rich, poor united in quest for water in Venezuela

Repeated blackouts have plunged the country into darkness. As a result, electric water pumps have shut down, forcing a cut in water supplies

Crippling power blackouts are subjecting Venezuelans to a second phase of deprivation—massive water shortages that make no distinction in income or social class, forcing rich and poor alike to wait in long lines for drinking water, while some hoist it from sewers to be able to flush their toilets.

On the hill in the Caracas neighborhood of Petare—the country’s largest slum home to more than half a million people—hundreds of people line up day and night behind two wells.

They carry anything that can hold water—drums, cans, bottles, buckets. When their turn comes, they take as much as they can.

The water is not drinkable, but it will allow them some dignity, to bathe or wash clothes. For the past month, repeated massive blackouts have plunged the country into darkness and disarray.  As a result, electric water pumps have shut down, forcing a cut in water supplies.

“We have no water, no electricity, the power cuts are terrible. Food is going bad,” says 78-year-old Ernestine Velasco as she recites a litany of deprivation in her modest house, located on an unpaved street in the March 24 district. “We are having a bad time. There is no transport, there’s nothing.”

Lack of water is a chronic problem in this teeming corner of Caracas. Though the cost is minimal, the service is non-existent, Velasco says. “Thank God, we have this,” she adds, pointing to the two wells nearby, though “it’s chaos, it makes you want to run away.”

Locals are waiting for the state water company to restore supplies. Even then, they expect it will only be for a few hours.

“We are dry. We don’t have a single drop,” said Carmen Moncada, tipping over an empty drum. A little further on, in the district of El Valle, a crowd formed around a manhole, drawing up water for their toilets.

President Nicolas Maduro has ordered electricity rationing for the next month in a bid to buy his engineers time to fix the problem, which he blames on opposition sabotage designed “to drive the country crazy.”

The working day has officially been shortened to ease the strain on the grid and allow people to get home before dark. Schools that have been shut since March 26 are expected to reopen on Wednesday, however.

 

Rich, poor united in quest for water in Venezuela

Repeated blackouts have plunged the country into darkness. As a result, electric water pumps have shut down, forcing a cut in water supplies

Crippling power blackouts are subjecting Venezuelans to a second phase of deprivationmassive water shortages that make no distinction in income or social class, forcing rich and poor alike to wait in long lines for drinking water, while some hoist it from sewers to be able to flush their toilets. On the hill in the Caracas neighborhood of Petarethe countrys largest slum home to more than half a million peoplehundreds of people line up day and night behind two wells. They carry anything that can hold waterdrums, cans, bottles, buckets. When their turn comes, they take as much as they can. The water is not drinkable, but it will allow them some dignity, to bathe or wash clothes. For the past month, repeated massive blackouts have plunged the country into darkness and disarray. As a result, electric water pumps have shut down, forcing a cut in water supplies. We have no water, no electricity, the power cuts are terrible. Food is going bad, says 78-year-old Ernestine Velasco as she recites a litany of deprivation in her modest house, located on an unpaved street in the March 24 district. We are having a bad time. There is no transport, theres nothing. Lack of water is a chronic problem in this teeming corner of Caracas. Though the cost is minimal, the service is non-existent, Velasco says. Thank God, we have this, she adds, pointing to the two wells nearby, though its chaos, it makes you want to run away. Locals are waiting for the state water company to restore supplies. Even then, they expect it will only be for a few hours. We are dry. We dont have a single drop, said Carmen Moncada, tipping over an empty drum. A little further on, in the district of El Valle, a crowd formed around a manhole, drawing up water for their toilets. President Nicolas Maduro has ordered electricity rationing for the next month in a bid to buy his engineers time to fix the problem, which he blames on opposition sabotage designed to drive the country crazy. The working day has officially been shortened to ease the strain on the grid and allow people to get home before dark. Schools that have been shut since March 26 are expected to reopen on Wednesday, however.