A worn-out power grid in Venezuela failed again this week, and residents' patience failed right along with it. Outages stretching past twelve hours in several western states pushed people in at least nine states into the streets between September 23 and 26, reviving a wave of cacerolazos, burning tires and blocked highways not seen since U.S. forces captured Nicolás Maduro this past January. The timing is awkward for Washington, which has leaned on Venezuela's post-Maduro image of stability to justify sending deported migrants and former TPS holders back.
This latest wave kicked off on the night of September 23, when fluctuations and cuts knocked out power across Caracas and at least thirteen other states, according to DSN Noticias. Street demonstrations followed fast: within a day, crowds had gathered in Portuguesa, Zulia, Mérida, Lara, Aragua, Guárico and Anzoátegui. Along the Zulia–Mérida border, residents of Nueva Bolivia shut down the Pan-American highway over the weekend; one woman on the scene summed up the mood for LaPatilla, saying flatly that "people have already lost their fear" of pushing back. Guárico's Zaraza logged a third consecutive night of protest by Saturday, according to LaPatilla's weekend coverage, while Infobae documented pot-banging demonstrations reaching Maracaibo's Coquivacoa neighborhood that same weekend.
