Venezuela orders public sector holiday to save power as extreme heat strains the national grid, with schools and ministries affected.
CARACAS: Venezuela’s interim president Delcy Rodriguez has declared a week-long holiday for public sector workers. The move is part of an emergency plan to save electricity amid a severe heatwave.
Rodriguez stated the measure is a response to “45 days of high temperatures” exacerbating chronic power shortages. Essential services will continue to operate without interruption.
The holiday applies to the entire education sector from Monday through Friday. Government ministries are also instructed to take the time off.
“This is part of the electric power saving plan,” Rodriguez said. The country has frequently rationed electricity and shortened workdays in recent years.
Power-saving measures have previously included suspending school classes during Easter. The latest decree formalises a broader shutdown for the upcoming Holy Week.
Rodriguez has led Venezuela since Nicolas Maduro was seized by the US military on January 3. The nation has struggled with recurring blackouts and grid instability for years.
