Venezuela declares two-day working week amid energy crisis

Venezuela’s socialist government has ordered public workers to do a two-day week, in a bid to save energy.

President Nicolas Maduro had already given most of the country’s state employees Fridays off during April and May, to slash electricity consumption, euronews reports.

Water levels are down to critical levels at Venezuela’s main dam and hydroelectric plant in Guri because of drought.

The dam provides for about two-thirds of energy needs.

Two-day week for #Venezuela public workers amid energy crisis https://t.co/rHnv2qNhHq pic.twitter.com/zigotboexr

— euronews (@euronews) April 27, 2016

Meanwhile Maduro is coming under mounting pressure amid a deepening economic crisis.

Opposition leaders have commenced the process of seeking a referendum to remove him.

Secretary of the Opposition Coalition Jesus Torrealba, said the Venezuelan people want to change the government but will want to do it peacefully and for peace.

“This is why we have these forms to collect 195,000 signatures, which is the one percent that will then allow us to collect the 20 percent of signatures needed, that is to say four million signatures. We’re sure that we’re going to do this in record time.” he said.

Kirin Holdings Co. said the country has the highest per capital rate of beer consumption in South America and comes in at number 24 in the world, Newsmax Finance reports.

According to the International Monetary Fund In 2015, Venezuela’s economy largely dependent on the sale of oil, contracted by 5.7 percent and is expected to shrink by an additional 8 percent this year.

Euronews, Agency