Power outages have become more frequent in Venezuela as the socialist-run economy has unraveled under hyperinflation and a decline in oil production to levels unseen since the 1940s CARACAS, Venezuela: A major blackout left several parts of Venezuela’s capital and neighboring states in the dark on Wednesday. Hundreds of office workers poured into the streets after the capital’s subway system shut down, and there were reports on social media of blackouts in neighboring states. Power began to return after about an hour. Power outages have become more frequent in Venezuela as the socialist-run economy has unraveled under hyperinflation and a decline in oil production to levels unseen since the 1940s. But the capital has been spared the worst of the fallout even as residents in the interior have grown accustomed to going several hours almost every day without electricity. The government has yet to comment but in the past has attributed outages to sabotage. Experts blame a lack of upkeep.