Caracas (OrinocoTribune.com)—Venezuelan Acting President Delcy Rodríguez has led an inspection of the Planta Centro and Termocarabobo thermoelectric plants in Carabobo state, overseeing efforts to restore the National Electric System (SEN) following the earthquakes of June 24.
Her inspection this Tuesday, August 4, came one day after the US Embassy in Caracas announced that a delegation—including Chargé d’Affaires John Barrett and technical experts from the US Department of Energy—had assessed the Simón Bolívar Hydroelectric Plant, commonly known as the Guri Dam. This visit was heavily criticized because Guri is Venezuela’s most important and strategically sensitive electricity-generating facility, and the presence of US imperial officials is a direct threat to critical infrastructure of the nation.
The contrasting visits highlighted two different fronts surrounding Venezuela’s electricity system: the Bolivarian government’s efforts to recover infrastructure damaged by the earthquakes and Washington’s expanding involvement in a strategic sector targeted by years of US colonial sanctions and destabilization operations.
“The US embassy tours the Guri Dam, which Washington sabotaged in 2019 to cause mass blackouts in Venezuela,” US journalist Anya Parampil wrote, describing the visit as part of a humiliating ritual imposed on Caracas.
Repairing earthquake damage
At Planta Centro, located in Puerto Cabello, Rodríguez reviewed repairs and technical work being conducted by specialized teams to recover generating capacity and improve the stability of the national electricity grid.
She then visited Termocarabobo in Morón, where she supervised the comprehensive rehabilitation of infrastructure severely affected by the June 24 earthquakes. Rodríguez subsequently reiterated that 50% of Termocarabobo’s generating capacity had already been restored and that work would continue until the plant was fully operational.
The work forms part of the government’s year-end thermoelectric recovery plan, which seeks to add generating capacity to the SEN as Venezuela prepares for the high temperatures and drought expected to accompany the El Niño phenomenon.
Rodríguez was accompanied by Electric Power Minister Rolando Alcalá, Public Works and Services Vice President Juan José Ramírez, and Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) President Héctor Obregón, according to Venezuelan government media.
US inspection of Guri sparks criticism
On Monday, the US Embassy in Caracas reported that specialists from the US Department of Energy had conducted a technical assessment of the Simón Bolívar Hydroelectric Plant in Guri, Bolívar state.
The embassy claimed the assessment to be part of a roadmap for modernizing Venezuela’s electricity system. However, the presence of US imperial officials at the country’s most strategically important hydroelectric facility provoked criticism on social media, particularly given Washington’s history of aggression against Venezuela and the accusations of US colonial involvement in the nationwide blackouts of 2019.
“If you want to encapsulate Venezuela’s undermined sovereignty in one tweet, this is it,” Venezuelanalysis wrote, criticizing Barrett’s access to infrastructure that even ordinary civilians are prohibited from visiting for security reasons, demonstrating the growing influence of the empire in Venezuela’s internal affairs.
During the inspection, Barrett shared videos from the dam and claimed that the assessment supported Venezuela’s economic recovery under a strategic plan promoted by Donald Trump and Marco Rubio. Critics have interpreted that plan as an attempt to expand Washington’s influence over Venezuela’s strategic sectors and facilitate access for the US empire and other foreign corporations.
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The US Embassy has not disclosed the assessment’s specific findings or identified the measures that may follow the inspection. The mission reportedly coordinated its activities directly with Venezuela’s Ministry of Electric Power and the state electricity company Corpoelec.
Special for Orinoco Tribune by staff
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