Electricity power cuts

On 21 March 2010 Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez announced a 24-hour power cut on 22 March for 96 companies that have failed to curb energy use. The government has not provided a specific list of the affected companies, though reports indicate that it likely includes restaurants, liquor stores, car dealerships, a yacht club and the Venezuelan subsidiary of a Japanese company. Venezuela is the midst of an electricity crisis, which has prompted the government to ration electricity use.