Much of Venezuela remained engulfed by darkness into early Friday amid one of the largest power outages in years, raising tensions in a country already on edge from ongoing political turmoil.
The blackout hit 22 of 23 states by some accounts. It struck the capital Caracas, which until now has been spared the worst of a collapse in the nation's grid, at the peak of rush hour.
Thousands of commuters flooded into the streets because subway service was stopped. A snarl of cars jammed the streets amid confusion generated by blackened stoplights. Others had to walk long distances to get home.
At the darkened maternity ward at the Avila Clinic in wealthy eastern Caracas, several mothers cried as nurses holding candles monitored the vital signs of premature babies in incubators after backup generators shut off.
Venezuela's socialist government blasted the outage as an "electrical war" directed by the United States.
Communications Minister Jorge Rodriguez said right-wing extremists intent on causing pandemonium in Venezuela and taking orders from Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio were behind the blackout, although he offered no proof.
"A little bit of patience," Rodriguez urged on state television, saying service would be restored in a few hours.
"If you're in your home, stay in your home. If you're in a protected space or at work, it's better for you to stay there."
"Venezuela is clear that the light will return with the end of usurpation."
"To submit the Venezuelan people to various days without electricity to attack, to mistreat, so that vital areas would be without power."
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