The security forces will take control of the energy infrastructure to prevent the ‘sabotage’ denounced by the government. In parts of the country there are power outages lasting up to eight hours.
Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa declared a state of emergency on Friday over the emergency the country’s electricity sector is experiencing amid prolonged power outages across the country and accusations of “sabotage” launched by the government, which is subjecting security issues and constitutional reforms to plebiscite this Sunday.
The measure was taken on the basis of Executive Decree 229 and will be in effect for 60 days. This is the estimated time to overcome the energy crisis and “face the energy shortage and ensure the provision of electricity services in the present, with the aim of stabilization in the near future.” During the state of emergency, the The country’s energy infrastructure will be monitored by the military and police to prevent sabotage, as provided in the aforementioned decision. So, “to prevent sabotage, terrorist attacks or other threats that could affect operations,” members of the National Police and the Armed Forces will be mobilized throughout the country.
The main difference with previous occasions is that the new state of exception applies will not lead to the imposition of a curfew.
The resources necessary to deal with the emergency will be allocated by the Ministry of Economy and Finance, without affecting funds related to the health and education sectors, the same media have clarified.
Since last Sunday, Ecuador has suffered daily power outages in several areas of up to eight hours The Mazar reservoir, the country’s second largest, has run out of sufficient water, allowing a complex of three hydroelectric power stations with a capacity of 1,757 megawatts to operate, equivalent to about a third of national demand.
To this has been added the disconnection of electricity supply from Colombiawhich is also facing a severe drought situation that prevents it from generating excess electricity to export to Ecuador.
Although climate problems were initially pointed out (water shortage in the reservoirs, excessive heat and power plant failures), the authorities later pointed to possible sabotage.
The situation is such that the president submitted the request early this week the resignation of the Minister of Energy, Andrea Arrobo; declared a state of emergency for the power system and launched an investigation to determine what had happened. The initial results of the investigation show that Arrobo and another twenty suspects allegedly concealed relevant information about the energy situation.
Source: EITB
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
