Thousands of people took to the streets of Caracas on Saturday amid a nationwide power cut that has plunged crisis-hit Venezuela into further chaos and desperation for two days. The capital bristled with the security forces of Nicolás Maduro as supporters of Juan Guaidó, the National Assembly leader recognised as the legitimate interim president by more than 50 countries, poured into the city centre. It was a daring move by opponents of the Maduro government, both for the march’s unusual proximity to state installations and for it taking place amid the blackout that has almost entirely brought down the country’s communications. The National Guard and riot police were out in force across the city, in some areas blocking the demonstrators’ passage. The Telegraph counted eight army trucks full of soldiers and nine armoured vehicles and tanks in a convoy approaching the protest route. A supporter of Venezuelan opposition leader and self-proclaimed acting president Juan Guaido, holds a policeman's face during a demonstration in Caracas Credit: AFP On Avenida Victoria, the march’s destination, protesters faced off with riot police before the rally even officially began, following an early morning confrontation that had seen security forces fire tear gas at locals as they tried to detain those erecting a platform for speeches. The atmosphere simmered as protesters, their anger heightened by the blackout, shouted at riot police with their shields raised. “You are killers!” one woman shouted. “There is still no electricity, people are dying, and you are going to pay for this!” “Soldiers, friends, the fight depends on you!” chanted others in the crowd, urging the security forces to come over to their side. Once again, it was almost impossible to communicate in Caracas or across most of the country. Power had been restored in some areas of the capital and elsewhere for a few hours on Friday afternoon, before cutting out in the early evening. The grid began to partially function again on Saturday morning, but by midday the blackout had resumed. Mr Maduro and his ministers have pinned the outage on “sabotage” at the Guri hydroelectric dam, accusing the US of waging an “electric war” against Venezuela. Jorge Rodriguez, the communications minister, has singled out Florida senator Marco Rubio for blame. A police officer tries to put out a fire during a demonstration in Caracas Credit: AFP But at the march in support of Mr Guaidó, such claims were ridiculed. “They always have an excuse to blame others,” Miguel Useche, a 72-year-old pensioner, told The Telegraph. “They have taken everything, I don’t know how many millions of millions they have looted,” he said, attributing the electrical collapse to corruption and lack of maintenance. The outage has brought further hardship to a country where many are already struggling to survive amid punishing shortages of food and medicine. As well as communications, water pumps have failed, food is rotting in fridges, businesses are shuttered and transport is virtually non existent. Petrol stations and grocery shops are running dry, with huge queues snaking around the few still operating. At hospitals across the country, back up generators have failed or been insufficient to power life saving equipment. At a number, medical staff have been left ventilating premature babies or patients in critical condition by hand. On Saturday an NGO reported that fifteen Venezuelans with advanced kidney disease had died after being unable to get dialysis during the country's extended power outage. "Between yesterday and today, there were 15 deaths for lack of dialysis," said Francisco Valencia, director of the Codevida health rights group. Carmen Yagres, a 38-year-old engineer, said Mr Maduro’s government must go. “We are here because people are dying,” she told the Telegraph. “It seems it doesn’t matter to them.” She implored the US to intervene to end the crisis. “We need international help,” she told The Telegraph. Mr Maduro, too, called supporters to the streets of Caracas on Saturday. The hardcore militants of his Socialist PSUV turned out, chanting patriotic slogans in defence of the fatherland against “imperialist aggression”. But away from the rank and file, the mood was subdued, the thronging crowds of fervent supporters he has in the past commanded nowhere to be seen.
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