Venezuela begins power rationing

Venezuela began 30 days of electricity rationing on Monday as the government moved to ease a deepening energy crisis.

"I have approved a 30-day plan for a load management regime," President Nicolás Maduro said in a televised address, without mentioning "rationing" or providing details.

The move follows a series of outages over the past month that have left large swaths of the country without electricity and running water.

Maduro (pictured) has accused the US of orchestrating "electromagnetic and cyberattacks" on the country's power system. He has also claimed that the Guri hydroelectric plant, which provides around 70% of the country's electricity, was damaged by bullets from a long-range rifle.

"We are dealing with a very serious situation," Maduro said in Sunday night's address, adding that the government's priority was to reconnect pumping systems that provide the population with drinking water.

"These blows are part of an electricity war aimed at driving this country crazy and we're not going to allow it. We're focused on recovering and rebuilding everything that has been damaged ... and to gradually restore electricity to our people," Maduro said.

National assembly leader Juan Guaidó, recognized by the US and at least 50 other countries as Venezuela's interim president following widely disputed 2018 elections, said the plan was a sham.

"People of Venezuela: there is no such rationing," the 35-year-old said on Twitter. "The [Maduro's regime] is simply not able to resolve the crisis."