Venezuela rations power as energy crisis worsens

CARACAS, Venezuela: Venezuela's government has imposed blackouts of four hours every other day throughout the country to combat an energy crisis, which experts say will further jeopardize the country's worsening economy.

Economists fear that the rationing will plunge Venezuela still further into recession, after posting its third consecutive quarter of negative growth last month. The economy contracted 2.9 percent in 2009 even as most other countries in the region began to recover from the global downturn.

Starting on Tuesday, Venezuelans will face rolling blackouts for five months as the worst drought in 50 years threatens to shut the nation's biggest hydroelectric plant and collapse the power grid.