According to a detailed study carried out by the non governmental organization ‘Transparencia Venezuela’, in the last 25 years the State has approved more than twenty billion dollars exclusively for the execution of at least 16 major projects and works, which would guarantee the optimization of the electrical service in the country. These resources were approved and disbursed before the United States authorities imposed sanctions on a group of Chavistas.
By: Luz Dary Depablos | Correspondent lapatilla.com
Despite the million-dollar investments destined to strengthen the national electrical system, Venezuelans continue to suffer prolonged power outages and daily rationing and rolling blackouts. The inefficiency of the State and alleged corruption have left the country mired in an energy crisis that seems to have no end, even in the middle of the rainy season (80% of electricity is generated by hydro power), when the demand for electricity traditionally decreases.
Currently, there is a clear lack of investment in equipment and maintenance units, as well as in the repair of damages that normally occur in much of Venezuela due to the strong and repeated power fluctuations.
Likewise, a large part of the trained personnel in the electrical sector has emigrated from the country, however, it was unofficially learned that, after the electoral contest on July 28th, at least five workers of great value for the operation of the El Guri dam were “deprived of their freedom” (Euphemism for imprisoned).
After the blackouts that left Venezuela in complete darkness for several days in 2019, the for Táchira State regional deputy, Heriberto Labrador, the electrical crisis began to be reported in the Andean State from 2022 on, but ended up affecting all of Venezuela, “due to the lack of investment in the infrastructure necessary to find an alternative to what ‘El Guri’ generates.”
“In Táchira State, we have a similar hydro generating plant, which has not been invested in, it is the one in Pregonero, the Uribante river, the Leonardo Ruíz Pineda dam (…) The deficit in Táchira is 170 kW, while consumption exceeds 600 megawatts (MW), of that deficit only 50% can be covered by the sole turbine that is installed in ‘San Agatón’ at half speed, and that is all that has been achieved, there is another turbine there, but it was never installed,” he added.
The deputy also emphasized, “to this we must add the problem of the thermoelectric plants. I would say that they are missing about 40% to get them operational.” He also pointed out that, “It is not that the Guri is not producing what we need, what happens is that with only one transmission line there are always bottlenecks for the most distant states, such as: Zulia, Táchira, Mérida, Barinas and Trujillo.”
He recalled that at some point he considered that buying electricity from Colombia as it would be an option to solve part of the problem.
“We historically always sold some kilowatts, through an interconnected system that we have with the system that comes out of there from Norte de Santander. Venezuela always sold some surplus to Colombia. At the time when commercial relations with Colombia were reestablished, we could buy (power) from Colombia even if it was only 10 or 15%, but apparently a large investment had to be made to reactivate the interconnected system with Colombia, however they never gave a report on what was required.”
Unfinished projects that caused the electrical crisis in Venezuela
The NGO ‘Transparencia Venezuela’ managed to gain access to detailed information on each of the projects that were approved for thousands of dollars and are currently paralyzed due to alleged cases of corruption and therefore, this would be the main cause of the electrical crisis that Venezuela suffers.
It should be remembered that these projects were never completed, but the Chavista regime approved the resources, an example is the sub-lacustrine cable of Lake Maracaibo, where 400,000,000 U.S. dollars were approved, but only 10% of the project was built, a situation that was repeated with what would be the Termozulia III Thermoelectric Power Plant, for which 1,070,000,000 U.S. dollars were approved.
Also, the expansion of the 230 and 115 kV Transmission System of the Tuy Valleys (Valles del Tuy), construction of the Cúa, Yare II, Cantarrana and Valle Verde substations, the expansion of the South substation, where the work never began, despite the fact that 422,890,000 U.S. dollars were approved. Likewise, for the construction of the ‘Argimiro Gabaldón’ Thermoelectric Plant, which is not operational, 27,076,744 dollars were granted.
Likewise, the Venezuelan State disbursed 2,178,000,000 dollars for the ‘India Urquía’ Plant belonging to the Termocentro Generator Complex and 8,896,268,823 dollars for the construction of the Manuel Piar-Tocoma Hydroelectric Plant, in addition to approving 98,260,317 dollars for the modernization of the ‘José Antonio Páez’ Hydroelectric Plant, all currently paralyzed.
The organization Transparencia Venezuela detailed the approval of 1,310,000,000 U.S. dollars for the modernization of Units 1 to 6 of engine room 1 of Guri Dam; as well as 225,000,000 dollars for the construction of the Guajira Wind Farm and 180,000,000 dollars for the Paraguaná Wind Farm, works that were never finished.
In addition to the 3,035,000,000 dollars for the construction of the Bachaquero Thermoelectric Plant and the ‘Don Luis Zambrano’ Thermoelectric Plant (Substations) to which 1,145,000,000 dollars were granted.
As well as the San Gerónimo-Cabruta project, for which 35,290,000 U.S. dollars were approved.
Also, 879,950,000 dollars were given for the ‘Yacambú – Quibor’ Hydraulic System and 140,400,000 dollars for Termozulia IV, which was completed but is not operational.
It is worth highlighting the ‘El Diluvio-Palmar’ Hydraulic System, a work that has been halted and the amount disbursed is still unknown.
In conclusion, if only one of the 16 aforementioned projects had been carried out to completion with the thousands of resources that were granted, it would alleviate part of the crisis in at least one state or region of the country today.