Liz Orozco is afraid. Since energy rationing began 12 to 14 hours a day in Ecuador on September 18, moving from his office in the north of Guayaquil to Durán, one of the most dangerous cities in the world, has become an ordeal.
“Walking alone is horrible, I have seen robberies,” she says. Durán is a territory of gang war.
Until October 2024, violent deaths in that area of the Ecuadorian coast exceeded 400, an increase of 59% compared to 2023, according to the think tank InSight Crime International.
The country, which suffers the ravages of organized crime, now also faces an energy crisis that forces it to turn off half of the day.
“A management crisis”
This scenario is “the result of a management crisis that Ecuador has been dragging on for decades,” says Jorge Luis Hidalgo, one of the country’s most respected energy experts.
Ecuador faces an energy deficit of 1,080 megawatts, 20% of its generation capacity.
Although the government has tried to attribute it to the “serious lack of rain,” Hidalgo emphasizes: “It is not a simple drought. “It is a structural problem that will not be resolved in the short term.”
90% of Ecuador’s energy depends on hydroelectric plants, but Hidalgo suggests that the country must diversify its sources.
“Ecuador has powerful water potential, a location on the equator ideal for taking advantage of the sun, and resources such as biomass, volcanoes for geothermal energy, natural gas and wind,” he explains.
“There is a huge opportunity in Ecuador, but also very poor management that will not be solved in the short term.”
Resilience in the midst of chaos
Despite adversity, Ecuadorians have had to adapt.
At the work of Liz Orozco, for example, a construction company in Guayaquil, the building has installed diesel power generators. “It’s an orchestra that you have to get used to,” he describes.
The company manager, Guillermo Jouvin Arosemena, says that each generator represents a diesel expense of about $8,000 dollars per week, added to monthly maintenance that can reach up to $550, depending on the equipment.
“The energy crisis is affecting us in every way,” says Jouvin. “The investment and maintenance cost was not foreseen and is making construction more expensive. Not all companies have the capacity to invest.”
This first half of 2024, the construction sector recorded a drop of 17% compared to 2023. “It was the most affected sector of the Ecuadorian economy,” he concludes.
The impact is also felt in other sectors.
This Friday, Mónica Heller, president of the Quito Chamber of Commerce, said in an interview that only in the last two months losses in the industrial sector reached $4,000 million dollars and in the commercial sector, $3,500 million, which has resulting in numerous layoffs.
“These power outages are devastating for commerce and industry,” says Heller. “We are seeing a direct impact on income and employment.”
Impact beyond the pocket
Jobs are lost, money is lost, and lives are also at risk. Fabricio Palma, a 54-year-old kidney patient who lives in the southwest of Guayaquil, has seen his treatment affected.
“Normally there are four hours of dialysis per session, but now they only do three hours,” he says. In a recent early morning session, Palma witnessed the death of a patient.
“The doctors said that the body reacts differently when dialysis is done at night.”
Traffic stress
The crisis is also reflected in road chaos. Christian Calvache, a traffic agent in Guayaquil, recounts the exhaustion of trying to regulate traffic without traffic lights.
“The wear and tear is both physical and emotional. I end the shift with headaches and exhausted patience,” Calvache confesses.
The city has more than 1,100 signalized intersections, some of which have battery power systems, but “many cannot withstand four hours of outages,” he acknowledges.
Calvache urges drivers to be patient, but admits that “the lack of empathy is evident.”
Allen Panchana and Daniela Sangurima, a married couple with three daughters, have taken measures to protect their family. They live in a closed residential complex in Samborondón, a city neighboring Guayaquil.
But the cuts affect them daily.
“We cannot cook or use drinking water when there is no power because the kitchen is induction and the water pumps need a motor.”. During the cuts, it is our turn go back to the 18th century and grab a jug”says Allen.
Daniela adds that the crisis affects her daughters’ routine. “We enroll them in activities so that they do not feel the stress of this situation, which no one should normalize,” he says.
However, she admits that the lack of energy disturbs her rest and causes her daughters to wake up exhausted.
voice of encouragement
Four ministers have passed through the Energy portfolio in the last year of Daniel Noboa’s government.
One of them is currently facing impeachment. Inés Manzano, the current minister, has promised short-term measures, such as purchasing energy from private suppliers, but the general perception is that these arrive late and unevenly.
Until November 17, the cuts will be 12 hours. On that date, the Ministry of Energy will decide whether they will be maintained or increased, depending on the rains.
From various sectors, mobilizations are announced, with tired citizens calling to “extinguish the candles and light the flame of the organization.”
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