The US is withdrawing all of its diplomats from Venezuela, due to what Washington calls the 'deteriorating situation' there. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has given US embassy staff 72 hours to leave the country. He also has declared victory over the opposition, in the power outage. Maduro says power has been restored to a good portion of the country, and the government is also stepping up security at power stations. Opposition leader Juan Guaido is under investigation for his alleged involvement in the outage, which started last Thursday. The blackout has caused at least 20 deaths. CGTN'S Juan Carlos Lamas reports from Caracas.

It's day six of the country-wide blackout. Intermittent power has been restored to some parts of Venezuela but others have been without electricity since last Thursday. And people are taking to the streets in Caracas to say they're fed up.

EVELYN JIMENEZ CARACAS RESIDENT "I'd like this nightmare to end, and I would like for a foreign intervention in Venezuela. It's clear enough that we cannot restore peace alone."

Ninety percent of the industrial and commercial sector in Venezuela is paralyzed due to the blackout, this according to the Venezuelan Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Production.

What little food people had in refrigerators has spoiled and temperatures are rising. Looting has been reported in grocery stores, restaurants and pharmacies. Hospitals are working to keep people alive using power from generators.

RICARDO CARRILLO CARACAS RESIDENT "I feel that the Venezuelan people do not deserve this. Venezuela is an oil rich country, with many natural resources we should not go through this kind of thing."

Water has stopped running in taps across the country. Caracas residents have started carrying buckets of water collected from the Guaire River, one of the most contaminated rivers in Venezuela.

ANDRES GONZALEZ CARACAS RESIDENT "Without water we cannot cook, do laundry, there's nothing we can do without water. Unfortunately, for us, we are here in this polluted river looking for water. It's humiliating that we have reached this situation."

The loss to the oil industry, commercial and service sectors is reported to be nearly 900 million dollars, since the blackout started. Fuel supplies are running low in Caracas.

JUAN CARLOS LAMAS CARACAS "President Maduro has said the power failure is a result of sabotage he says the U.S., and opposition leader Juan Guaido, who the U.S. supports, are likely behind it. The U.S. embassy says its withdrawing its staff from Venezuela, and Venezuela has given them 72 hours to go. Maduro has called for a full investigation."

NICOLAS MADURO VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT "A high-tech cyberattack has been made against Venezuela. The United States of America is the only government with a technology capable of carrying out a high-tech cyberattack."

Many energy experts dismiss the charges of sabotage, saying the blackout is the result of years of underinvestment, corruption and brain drain.

No matter the cause Venezuelans say they've had enough and they're pleading with authorities to look for solutions, since millions of lives are at risk.

Juan Carlos Lamas, CGTN, Caracas.