Venezuelan President: Women Should Not Use Hair Dryers

Nicolas Maduro, the President of Venezuela, urged the women of the country not to use hair dryers to dry their hair. According to the Independent, the oil-rich country's president, facing an energy crisis, this week asked women to allow their hair to dry naturally to conserve energy. Maduro did not mention men's use of hair dryers. Maduro and his cabinet are looking for ways to reduce electricity consumption. The majority of Venezuela's electricity is supplied by hydroelectric plants. The country's water reserves have significantly decreased due to the El Niño weather phenomenon. The Venezuelan government has also declared Fridays as a day off for public sector employees. Venezuela is suffering from severe drought. Venezuela has showcased one of the most disastrous laboratories of 'populism' both in the economic and political arenas, once again demonstrating that when demagoguery sits in power in a country, it can lead to results more painful than plagues and floods for the people of that country. Fereydoun Khavand, an economics professor in Paris, stated that this government order is part of an emergency plan aimed at drawing the public's attention to electricity consumption. This plan was initially supposed to last two months, but it has now been made clear that it will continue until the end of El Niño. The water shortage has severely reduced electricity production by the Simon Bolivar generator, the main electricity generator in Venezuela. According to Fereydoun Khavand, both Hugo Chavez and his successor have brought Venezuela to the brink of collapse despite its abundant oil resources. The Costa Rica Star reported that public employees responsible for transporting drinking water or chemicals necessary for providing drinking water to the public are exempt from this government order. Maduro also announced that electricity rationing in stores and hotels would increase from four hours a day to nine hours a day. The serious drought in the country has led to water and now electricity rationing in some areas of Venezuela. Venezuela has faced electricity shortages since 2010, resulting in repeated blackouts for consumers.