In Venezuela, severe shortages of food and medicine show no sign of easing, dragging the country deeper into economic and political instability. Now Venezuelans have more to worry about. The country's public sector is now limited to working just two days a week due to an energy crisis.

Venezuela has become a land of queues, as people spend hours each day lining up in search of scarce food and medicines. But this queue is not for goods but services.

These are the law courts which now only operate for half a day on Mondays and Tuesdays. In a bid to save energy, Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro has placed all public sector employees on two day weeks.

Venezuela relies on a single hydroelectric plant for about two-thirds of its energy needs. But a severe drought has left water in the reservoirs at a critical level.

In late April the government introduced rolling blackouts throughout much of the country, blaming the El Nino weather pattern for producing such a long and severe dry spell. Critics, though, blame mismanagement.

"Colombia, our neighbor, also suffered from the El Nino but they don't have these calamities," said Froilan Barrios, CTV Trade Union President.

Froilan Barrios is head of an independent trade union whose members include public sector employees.

"It's generating frustration for Venezuelans because we're talking about some 3 million workers whose offices are closed from Wednesday to Friday. This is creating bottlenecks in government provided services throughout the public sector including the courts," Barrios also said.

Tensions are mounting across the country as frustrations at food shortages and blackouts spill over onto the streets. There are almost daily protests outside of supermarkets. While demonstrations calling for a recall referendum to remove President Nicolas Maduro are met with teargas and riot police.

El Nino has ended and rain may start to relieve the blackouts, but Venezuela's political and economic crisis shows no signs of easing.