Venezuela will impose conservation measures for water and electricity because the El Nino weather pattern has reduced rainfall, affecting hydroelectric stations and drinking-water reservoirs.

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Chavez is trying to head off possible political fallout from power disruptions, which have become more common in recent years as growing energy use outstripped expansion in the nation's generation and transmission network.

Water levels in reservoirs on the Caroni River, which generate 70 percent of the country's electricity, are "near the alert level," Chavez said.