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The constant blackouts in Puerto Rico caused thousands of people to take to the streets to demonstrate for what, they say, is ruining their lives and businesses. The private energy company Luma Energy, at the center of the controversy, has had to carry out selective blackouts that last several hours because they ensure that demand is exceeding supply.
Running out of electricity has meant for many Puerto Ricans the loss of food, refrigerated medicines, the absence of minors in virtual classes, running out of battery on the phone or simply missing almost a whole day of work.
The outrage of thousands of inhabitants of Puerto Rico reached its limits this Friday, October 15, with a demonstration in San Juan, the capital, in which about 4,000 people participated who are against the management of the private energy company Luma Energy. , responsible since June for the distribution and transmission of the island’s electrical system, as well as for the state Electric Power Authority (PREPA), which until that date was responsible for the entire system.
After Hurricane María struck Puerto Rico in September 2017, the electricity grid has become increasingly unstable. Since then, the system has not been completely rebuilt.
This week, the government announced the first disbursement of federal funds to PREPA of $ 7.1 million to begin reconstruction.
Power outages that harm the lives and work of thousands
The white, blue and red of the Puerto Rican flag stood out this Friday, October 15, during the demonstration against the companies that currently administer the energy service on the island.
The patriotic sentiment managed to bring together thousands of Puerto Ricans, in an attempt to defend their right to health, work and the education of their children.
The constant power outages in various sectors of Puerto Rico have damaged the routine of many. “We are tired of going home and seeing that we have no electricity,” Mayra Rivera, a protester, told the AP news agency. The woman also assured that she is worried about her parents, who are over 90 years old, and the heat that suffocates them during the day.
Juan Antonio Rivera, another of the participants, said that the most recent blackout left him in the dark this week for 43 hours and the previous ones damaged both his computers.
For his part, Jesús Vázquez, president of the United Retailers Center (CUD), an organization that has asked the Government to address the current crisis, said that “merchants no longer endure energy insecurity. They live under stress and with the uncertainty of whether they will be able to work or if some equipment will be damaged by the constant downtime ”.
Higher fees for poor service
The passage of Hurricane María in September 2017 left profound damage to the electricity grid in Puerto Rico, which is why the service continues, until today, to be unstable. In other words, in the last four years, thousands of Puerto Ricans have suffered from electrical intermittency in their homes and businesses.
The great social unrest has been fueled by the announcement by Luma Energy, currently responsible for the distribution and transmission of the island’s electrical system, of the possibility of an increase in rates.
This is a price increase of 16.4% in the electricity bill, but so far the regulatory authorities have not approved the request.
With AP and EFE
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