CARACAS, March 14. /TASS/. Venezuelan Armed Forces will hold drills on protecting strategic facilities after a series of power outages in the country, Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez said on Wednesday.

"In order to reinforce the victory of our people in the face of aggression against the power lines, President Nicolas Maduro has ordered National Bolivarian Armed Forces to hold drills 'Ana Karina Rote' this Saturday and Sunday to protect the people and strategic facilties," Lopez wrote on his official Twitter account.

On March 7, at least 20 out of 23 Venezuelan states were left without electricity. Venezuela's state energy company Corpoelec said that the blackout was caused by an accident at the Simon Bolivar hydroelectric power station. Some experts say the accident was unprecedented in its scale.

Venezuelan Minister of Communications and Information Jorge Rodriguez said earlier that power supply has been restored on the whole territory of the country.