BRASIL: After The Blackout: Blame It On Frayed Infrastructure...And Lula.

LATIMES/
Experts have long warned that the Brasil's electric transmission lines were neglected for decades, unable to handle the added demand created by boom times and vulnerable to a massive outage. From 1999 to 2001, a series of blackouts hurt former President Fernando Henrique Cardoso's administration and were exploited by Lula before his 2002 election.
Now supporters of Cardoso's party are attacking former energy minister Dilma Rousseff, who is expected to run for president next year. Two weeks ago, Rousseff assured Brazilians in a radio interview that there would be no more blackouts.
It was at least the fourth time since 1985 that Brasil has suffered a mammoth power outage blamed on transmission line failures from Itaipu.
The worst blackout occurred in 1999 after lightning struck a power substation in Sao Paulo state, plunging 97 million Brasilians into darkness for up to five hours.