Minister of Electric Energy, Jorge Márquez, during the 7th Meeting of Ministers of Energy of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) in Bogotá, Colombia.
Guacamaya, July 25, 2025. Venezuela’s Minister of Electric Energy, Jorge Márquez, announced on Wednesday that agreements have been established to reactivate electricity supply to Colombia and Brazil.
Márquez made the announcement during the VII Meeting of Energy Ministers of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) in Bogotá, Colombia, where he also criticized the “unilateral coercive measures” or sanctions imposed by the United States and Europe.
The announcement comes as a surprise, given that Venezuela’s National Electric System (SEN) currently fails to meet domestic demand, resulting in frequent blackouts across the country—including in parts of the capital.
The reason behind exporting electricity appears to be the ability to charge higher prices per megawatt. Within Venezuela, the state-owned utility company Corpoelec sells power at subsidized rates and faces high delinquency rates—prompting initiatives like the “Borrón y Cuenta Nueva” (Clean Slate) program to reduce unpaid bills.
A power supply route to the Brazilian state of Roraima already exists and was reactivated in February of this year. In the first quarter, Brazil’s assigned rate for the importing company, Bolt Energy, was 1,096.11 reais ($192.49) per megawatt-hour (MWh).
Márquez also stated, “Our National Electric System has an installed capacity where 70% of electricity production comes from hydroelectric plants. The remaining 30% is generated by thermoelectric plants, 95% of which use natural gas—a key fuel for energy security.”
In a ministry release, it was announced that “a far-reaching project has been launched to install 20,000 solar-powered water pumping systems, for both deep and shallow wells, in isolated and indigenous border areas, as well as in productive agricultural zones.”
The minister also discussed the gas pipeline project aimed at transporting gas from Venezuela to Colombia. However, according to senior Colombian officials, its reactivation requires authorization from the U.S. government due to sanctions.
