CARACAS: A large number of Venezuelan opposition sympathizers protested on Saturday against therecurring blackouts that crippled much of the country this month and have aggravated the OPEC nation`s economic and social crisis.

According to the report, the electricity has slowly been restored following a blackout on Monday that left most of Venezuela`s 24 states without power. That followed a massive week-long national outage on March 7.

President Nicolas Maduro has said the situation was caused by "terrorist attacks" on the Guri hydroelectric dam that powers much of the country.  Critics including opposition leader Juan Guaido, who is recognized by most Western nations as Venezuela`s legitimate head of state, blame the electricity problems on corruption and mismanagement. 

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In a rally in the Caracas suburb of Los Teques on Saturday, Guaido said,  "We all know who is responsible for the blackout – Maduro. He further said,  "We must accelerate the process to remove this corrupt and thieving regime."  Maduro has said Guaido is seeking to lead a coup against him, with the help of Washington.

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US has levied crippling sanctions against Maduro`s government in efforts to push him from power, but he has hung on in large part thanks to continued loyalty by top military commanders