Oct 3, 2021 - Politics & Policy

Power outages in Puerto Rico fuel anger, fear

Yacob Reyes

a private company that took over the island's Electric Power Authority — People sit on the sidewalk of a street left in darkness by a power outage in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico, on June 10. Photo: Ricardo Arduengo/AFP via Getty Images.

Major power outages across Puerto Rico have surged in recent weeks, fueling anger and fear among residents affected by a situation that the government has called a "crass failure," AP reports.

The big picture: The energy company Luma took over the U.S. territory's power transmission and distribution system on June 1. Since then, customers have complained of an increase in outages.

The electric company has a 15-year contract with Puerto Rico's government and serves nearly 1.5 million customers.
Puerto Ricans have protested the privatization of the island's electrical grid since the move was announced in 2018, writes Miami Herald.

Driving the news: Hundreds of Puerto Ricans gathered outside of the governor's mansion in San Juan on Friday, angered by the now-daily outages that residents have likened to the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, per the Miami Herald.

What they're saying: "Every time the power goes out here it pushes your post-traumatic stress button," Manuel Casellas, an attorney who recently served as president of an 84-unit condominium complex, told AP. "You can't live without electricity."

"This has turned into abuse," said Carmen Cabrer, a 53-year-old Puerto Rico resident, about the outages, per AP. "I'm constantly tense."

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Power outages in Puerto Rico fuel anger, fear

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