CUBA has branded the attack on the electricity system which left large parts of its ally Venezuela without power as an act of terrorism.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro announced the details of the sabotage, describing Thursday’s attack on the electrical system the “cruellest blow in the history of the country.”

He dismissed claims made by regime change advocate US Senator Marco Rubio that the country’s own government was responsible for the power cuts, saying he had evidence of sabotage.

He explained the first attack was made to the technology area of the Simon Bolivar hydroelectric plant (El Guri), which supplies four-fifths of the nation’s electricity.

After the restoration of 70 per cent of the system in the capital, Mr Maduro said that vandals paid by the opposition had physically attacked the La Ciudadela substation in the Baruta municipality, Miranda state, to shut down Caracas again.

The phases of the attack were explained as follows: first a cybernetic attack on the computerised system of the Corpoelec company at the El Guri hydroelectric plant. A group of cyberwarfare experts were used to recover the system.

Then mobile devices with high frequencies were used to knock out communications.

Lastly came the burning and direct bombings of substations and electrical stations.

The president condemned the attack as “a great violation of human rights in our country by the right wing, who celebrate national suffering.”

In a statement to the Venezuelan people today Mr Maduro said that two people had been arrested on suspicion of attempted sabotage to the country’s power system.

He added that the US president also had responsibility for the power cuts.

“Donald Trump is a key responsible person for the cyberattack on Venezuela’s electricity system. He has said that all scenarios [with respect to Venezuela] were possible, and his marionettes and clowns in Venezuela itself echo him … A high-tech cyber-attack has been carried out against Venezuela and only the US government has the [necessary] technology,” Mr Maduro said.

The government of Cuba condemned the act in a statement, arguing that the attack has been “aimed at damaging the defenceless population to use as a hostage in the unconventional war unleashed by the United States against the Venezuelan government.”