"""CARACAS, VENEZUELA - MARCH 21, 2016: Fast food cook, Frank Almonte, waits in the restaurant where he works while the electricity was shut off during state-mandated rationing. Mr. Almonte said the rationing is bad for business, because he needs electricity to cook, food can go bad in the refridgerators, and customers leave without ordering when they learn they cannot pay with credit or debit cards because the machine used to process them needs electricity to work. Venezuela is shutting down this week, as the government struggles with a deepening electricity crisis.  President Nicolas Maduro gave everyone an extra three days off work, extending the two-day Easter holiday, according to a statement in the Official Gazette published late last Tuesday.  The government has rationed electricity and water supplies across the country for months and urged citizens to avoid waste as Venezuela endures a prolonged drought that has slashed output at hydroelectric dams. The ruling socialists have blamed the shortage on the El Nino weather phenomena and """"sabotage"""" by their political foes, while critics cite a lack of maintenance and poor planning.  PHOTO: Meridith Kohut for Bloomberg News"""
{}