0 vs 10Mentions of Saab on state TV vs. opposition media over 7 days · State television did not mention Alex Saab in the 7 days before September 15, versus 10 mentions on opposition media.
1,200 MWMegawatts lost to the Guri Unit 17 failure · El Pitazo reported that the Unit 17 failure at Guri has cut 1,200 MW from the national grid.
Alex Saab, described by U.S. prosecutors as a front man for Nicolás Maduro, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to conspiracy to commit money laundering before Judge Kathleen Williams in the Southern District of Florida, according to Efecto Cocuyo and El Diario NY. Saab signed a plea agreement and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors; he faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
Opposition commentators had anticipated the plea a day earlier: David Placeres said on September 14 that 'Alex Saab will sink Maduro' with his guilty plea. Venezuelan state television did not mention the Saab case in its programming these days.
«Alex Saab will sink Maduro and will plead guilty tomorrow.»— David Placeres, September 14, 2026 · watch
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A breakdown at Unit 17 of the Guri dam cut 1,200 megawatts from the national grid, El Pitazo reported, citing estimates that repairs could take up to two years. A commentator on the channel called the situation 'the most dysfunctional management in Venezuela's electrical history,' according to El Pitazo.
State television, for its part, did not address the Guri failure in its programming these days; VTV instead aired segments on economic growth and psychosocial support in schools after the June 24 earthquake.
«This is the most dysfunctional management in Venezuela's electrical history.»— El Pitazo, September 15, 2026 · watch
