Venezuela’s government, which heavily subsidizes electricity, will start rationing power nationwide as it faces a surge in demand for air conditioning amid a continuing heat wave, officials said Tuesday. The cuts will begin with some public-sector offices where the workday will be reduced to six hours from eight and where power use will be moderated, Vice President Jorge Arreaza said in an address broadcast on state television. He also promised inspections of large private consumers such as malls, hotels and other industries. He blamed the recent surge in power demand on climate change caused by excessive industrialization. “This is of course linked to global warming and the excessive industrialization of capitalism, which never stops, nor has ever stopped, for the effects that it can have on the climate, on society and on Mother Earth,” Mr. Arreaza said. The announcement comes one day after local reports of power outages affecting […]