Most of Venezuela was plunged into darkness on Friday, August 30, 2024, as a nationwide power outage gripped the country. The government, led by President Nicolas Maduro, swiftly blamed sabotage of the national electrical grid, a claim that has become a recurring theme in recent years. This latest blackout comes amidst a backdrop of economic hardship and political turmoil, following a disputed presidential election. The Venezuelan government has repeatedly attributed frequent blackouts to alleged conspiracies aimed at overthrowing Maduro, offering little evidence to support these claims. Experts and opposition leaders, however, point to years of corruption, underinvestment, and lack of expertise as the primary culprits behind the country’s electricity woes. The severity of the outage has sparked widespread fear and frustration among citizens, particularly those who vividly recall the devastating blackout of March 2019, which lasted for several days. With the country grappling with economic collapse and an exodus of over seven million Venezuelans, the latest power outage serves as a stark reminder of the challenges facing the nation. The government’s persistent accusations of sabotage have been met with skepticism from both the opposition and the international community, fueling a climate of distrust and uncertainty.