CARACAS, (Reuters) – Venezuelan shopping centers are scaling back hours of operation causing an uproar among consumers, in the wake of the government’s move to reduce their electricity supplies in the early afternoon and evening.
Socialist President Nicolas Maduro’s government last week said shopping centers would have to generate their own electricity between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. and between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. on weekdays. The measure comes amid a drought that has hit hydroelectric generating systems.
Most shopping centers will have to limit service because they do not have power generation capacity, according to the primary industry group that represents malls.
“The measure disrupts the quality of services that for more than a decade (we) have provided to more than 2.5 million Venezuelans who visit us each day,” the Venezuelan Chamber of Shopping Centers, Merchants and Associates said in a statement.
At the well-known Caracas mall Sambil yesterday, businesses such as clothing shops were preparing to close at 1 p.m. and some escalators had been halted. Banks, movie theaters and the food court remained open.
