Operational failure
Power Grid
Venezuela power grid — near-national blackout amid disputed sabotage claims
7–14 March 2019
Venezuela (national marker near Guri transmission hub)
Map
7.7700, -63.0000
What happened
A failure associated with the Guri hydroelectric complex and its high-voltage transmission network triggered a cascading blackout across most of Venezuela. Electricity remained absent or intermittent in many areas for several days, disrupting hospitals, water pumping, telecommunications and oil operations. President Nicolás Maduro alleged a U.S.-directed cyberattack and physical sabotage, but his government published no verifiable evidence. Independent engineers and reporting pointed to years of deferred maintenance, vegetation and fire risk along transmission corridors, and operational failures. The incident is therefore classified as an operational failure with disputed political claims, not a confirmed act of energy warfare.
When cited sources give different casualty, damage or spill figures for this event, they’re reported side by side above rather than merged into one number. See how confidence levels work.
- Evidence
- Documented
- Confidence
- High
- Infrastructure
- Power Grid
- Current temperature
- Loading…
- Latitude
- 7.7700°
- Longitude
- -63.0000°
Attribution
Responsibility disputed Maduro government alleged U.S. cyberattack and sabotage; no supporting evidence was produced
Independent power experts instead cited chronic underinvestment, poor maintenance and a likely transmission-line failure and fire. This record does not treat the government's allegation as established attribution.