Venezuela's blackout was caused from abroad, says Russia.
The blackout in Venezuela was orchestrated from abroad, as the organizers of the remote attack were aware that the equipment at the facility was manufactured in Canada; "This week, a serious misfortune struck Venezuela, taking the lives of citizens of the country. Like most misfortunes that have befallen independent Venezuela in recent years, this misfortune came from abroad," stated the spokesperson for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maria Zakharova.
Sputnik - The blackout in Venezuela was orchestrated from abroad, as the organizers of the remote attack were aware that the equipment at the facility was manufactured in Canada, declared the official representative of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maria Zakharova.
"This week, a serious misfortune struck Venezuela, taking the lives of citizens of the country. Like most of the misfortunes that have befallen independent Venezuela in recent years, this misfortune came from abroad," the spokesperson stated.
According to data from the legitimate Venezuelan government led by President Nicolás Maduro, as well as other reliable sources, "Venezuela's energy sector has faced an attack from abroad, involving complex actions remotely targeting the management and control systems of the main power plants that had installed equipment produced in a Western country, as I understand it, Canada," Maria Zakharova emphasized during a briefing.
According to the spokesperson, all the operating algorithms and vulnerabilities of the facilities were "known to the direct organizers of the attack." They and those who ordered the attack are responsible for the deaths of people, including those who were left without electricity in hospitals, she stressed, expressing hope that those responsible for the blackout will be held accountable in court.
The representative from the Russian Foreign Ministry stressed that if Russian experts are asked to investigate the blackout, the request "will be considered very carefully."
The energy collapse in Venezuela occurred on March 7th after an accident at the Guri Hydroelectric Plant, responsible for supplying 80% of the country's energy, as a result of a cyberattack on the plant's control system, according to the government. The blackout lasted until Wednesday (13), affecting 21 of the country's 23 states.
Maduro blamed the US for the energy war against Venezuela. Washington, in turn, denied any involvement. Corpoelec, the Venezuelan state-owned electricity company, called the incident "sabotage" and an episode in the energy war against the country.