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Venezuela still in dark, Juan Guaido wants ‘state of alarm’ declared

Venezuela still in dark, Juan Guaido wants ‘state of alarm’ declared

Venezuela’s crisis is deepening with the total blackout, while Juan Guaido is calling for more street protests on Monday to pressure Nicolas Maduro to step down. The opposition leader’s Saturday’s rally showed that Guaido is going to declare a “state of alarm” over the country’s devastating blackout, AFP reported.

Juan Guaido, the 35-year-old leader of the National Assembly, does his best to facilitate the delivery of international aid amid the blackout. being backed by the US, Venezuelan opposition leader needs a chance to score points in his power struggle with the legitimate President Maduro. Talking to people during his Saturday’s rally, Mr Guaido urged to realize people’s right to go into the street, to protest, to demand “because this regime is letting Venezuelans die.” In his speech, Juan Guaido also appealed to the armed forces to stop “covering for the dictator.”

The street protests make live of the ordinary people even worse, say the local media. At least 15 patients with advanced kidney disease were reported to have died since the massive power outage began on Thursday, as hospitals struggled to provide emergency services and the threat of spoiling food supplies put many on edge.

According to Guaido, Venezuelan government must attend to this catastrophe immediately. “We cannot turn away from it,” he said. Businesses, hospitals and schools were to remain closed Monday even in capital Caracas. Earlier, the young perspective politician has triggered a power struggle in the oil-rich but extremely poor South American country. So far, 30 million of Venezuelans are living like the beggars because of the total collapse of the economy.

Guaido plans to declare the “state of alarm”

Mr Guaido told reporters he would convene an emergency session of the opposition-controlled National Assembly to declare the “state of alarm”. Last weekend was crucial in the battle for power for both Maduro and Guaido. The legitimate president used the military to block an opposition bid to bring in more than 250 tons of supplies from neighbouring Colombia and Brazil.

On Sunday, Nicolas Maduro vowed not to back down. “This macabre strategy to bring us to a confrontation will fail,” he wrote on Twitter.

Power was restored late Sunday in some areas of the capital Caracas, sparking enthusiastic cheers. But already twice so far, the restoration of electricity has been fleeting.