Never-ending blackouts drive angry Mérida residents to the street

A store manager in García Ginerés has lost business and inventory because of constant power outages, including one that has gone into a second day. Photo: Mark Callum for Yucatán Magazine

A citizens’ blockade has diverted traffic from a García Ginerés street while a major blackout approached 48 hours.

An apparently overloaded transformer exploded around 6 p.m. Wednesday, leaving property owners without power during a major April heatwave.

Residents are fed up with power outages, including a current one that has dragged out into its third day. So several residents have dragged out milk crates and stools to keep anyone from going down the street.

They are led by Sara Gomez, who said her Six convenience store has lost thousands of pesos in business and inventory because of poor service from the CFE, the government-owned electricity commission.

Sara Gomez is joined by her son Adrian and her Chikis to protest CFE-related blackouts in Mérida. Photo: Mark Callum for Yucatán Magazine

Her son, 8-year-old Adrian Solis, stands behind a sign that reads “Negocio cerrado por falta de luz / CFE repara el transformada” — explaining that the business is closed due to lack of light and the CFE needs to repair the transformer. Her red work apron now serves as a flag to alert drivers.

Police are standing by, but a neighbor said they are just passively monitoring the situation and are in sympathy with her plight.

Earlier: Widespread blackouts plague Mérida’s north

Yucatán Magazine
Yucatán Magazine
Yucatán Magazine has the inside scoop on living here. Sign up to get our top headlines delivered to your inbox every week.
- Advertisement -spot_img
AVAILABLE NOWspot_img
ADVERTISEMENTspot_img
Verified by ExactMetrics