Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, has appointed Juan Crisóstomo Fernández as the new president of Corpoelec, the state electric corporation. This appointment comes one week after Rodríguez asked citizens to conserve electricity.

Fernández, with twenty-seven years of experience at Corpoelec, brings “his experience and commitment to the strengthening and improvement of this essential service for the Venezuelan people” according to the official statement published on Instagram.

Designaron a José Luis Betancourt como Viceministro de Servicios Eléctricos y a Juan Crisóstomo Fernández -27 años en CORPOELEC- como presidente de la empresa estatal. Ambos con la tarea de fortalecer el Sistema Eléctrico Nacional. #Venezuela #teleSUR #8Ago pic.twitter.com/y66qPOBxfe

— teleSUR TV (@teleSURtv) August 8, 2026

The engineer replaces José Luis Betancourt, who will now become vice minister of Electric Services, according to information from the ministry, which indicated that the official will be tasked with strengthening the team responsible for promoting “this strategic task for the country.”

On August 2, Rodríguez asked the country to save electricity and water in the face of the “Super Niño” climate phenomenon, as a highly intense El Niño episode is colloquially known, and announced a plan to add 4,800 megawatts (MW) to the electrical system for the remainder of the year.

The president then said that she requested “specific plans” to address the increase in temperatures and the reduction of water sources, including incorporating 4,800 MW into thermoelectric generation.

This week, the US Chargé d’affaires in Venezuela, John Barrett, reported that a team of technical experts from his country’s Department of Energy conducted a technical diagnosis of the main hydroelectric plant in the Caribbean nation to define a roadmap for modernizing the electrical system.

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