They will protest in front of the LUMA Energy and PREPA offices due to the general blackout and increase in electricity in Puerto Rico

JamesApril 8, 2022

0 32 4 minutes read

Almost 48 hours after the general blackout in Puerto Rico, hundreds of demonstrators protested today, Friday, in front of the central offices of the Electric Power Authority (AEE), where LUMA Energy operates, to demand the elimination of their contract and that they stop the increase in the rate.

Those present toured Juan Ponce de León avenue denouncing that while the bill increases, the service remains precarious and the blackouts do not stop.

“This building is ours. We demand the immediate cancellation of the contract (of LUMA Energy). All of them have defaulted, and we do not have to pay anything. We want renewable energy,” said Angélica Costa, spokesperson for Mujeres contra LUMA.

“For 80 years, women and men have developed an electrical system in Puerto Rico. When the service is public, no matter where we have to go, we get there. (…) Everything that the country is experiencing was warned by the UTIER. LUMA has broken all the records that no one thought it would break”maintained, for his part, the president of the Union of Workers of the Electrical and Irrigation Industry (Utier), Angel Figueroa Jaramillo.

As of 9:00 am, service had only been restored to 600,000 subscribers out of 1.5 million island-wide, according to the latest update from LUMA Energy.

“My soul breaks. There are people having a very bad time and without resources to live, “said Giovanna Buono, a 78-year-old woman who lives near the Medical Center.

The electricity service “comes and goes” in Buono’s home, but his biggest concern is for his brother who lives in Ponce, has no electricity service and is a cancer survivor. She found out about the demonstration on the radio and expressed her outrage with LUMA’s management.

Several packages of meat and fish were placed in front of the building’s entrance in protest of the thousands of families who have had to throw away food purchases.

The call for this protest was born from the union of various unions and organizations such as Utier, the Puerto Rican Workers Union (SPT), the Federation of Teachers of Puerto Rico (FMPR), Women against LUMA and the Seminar for the Promises.

“We are seeing the result of privatization. Given this blackout, where is the government? (…) The only one who can save Puerto Rico is the working class,” said Rafael Bernabe Riefkohl, senator of the Citizen Victory Movement.

LUMA responds

Meanwhile, the vice president of LUMA Energy, Kevin Acevedoassured confidently this morning that a million subscribers would be connected at night.

“LUMA respects the right to freedom of expression of every person. Our mission is to strengthen the electricity transmission and distribution system in PR, to make it more reliable, resilient and clean as Puerto Ricans deserve. Always and even more so in these times of emergency, we continue to focus on restoring the electricity service to our 1.5 million customers as soon as possible with all the security measures for our workers and the public”, shared the spokeswoman for LUMA Energy, Gloria Soltero. in written statements.

The general blackout recorded around 8:30 p.m. on April 6, 2022 caught all Puerto Ricans off guard, so many found it necessary to purchase gasoline to power their portable plants. (Stephanie Rojas)
Many citizens have been forced to turn on portable generators, since the process of restoring electricity service will probably take more than 24 hours. (Stephanie Rojas)
Given the lack of electricity, citizens have had to stand in long queues to obtain gasoline and/or diesel, paying the high prices caused by the crisis of the war between Ukraine and Russia. (Stephanie Rojas)
Similarly, lines at fast food establishments have been the order of the day for many Puerto Ricans. (Stephanie Rojas)
The Mayagüez Medical Center experienced a situation, after the blackout occurred, with one of its generators, which caused the institution to be unable to supply energy to offer services. (Jorge A. Ramirez Portela)
The secretary of the Department of Health, Carlos Mellado, indicated in a press conference that the only hospital institution that faced problems with its generators was the Mayagüez Medical Center. (Jorge A. Ramirez Portela)
However, Mellado stressed that specialized personnel managed to put the generators into operation, so that generation could be restored in the hospital. (Jorge A. Ramirez Portela)
Due to the general blackout, the Police Bureau activated its officers to direct traffic, since most of the traffic lights are not working due to the lack of electricity. (Stephanie Rojas)
This situation made the town remember the problems generated by the lack of energy after the passage of Hurricane Maria in 2017, an atmospheric phenomenon that left the electrical network in the poor state it is in today. (Stephanie Rojas)
The high presence of officers on the most important roads and intersections in Puerto Rico has allowed the flow of traffic without major setbacks. (Stephanie Rojas)
The commissioner of the Police Bureau, Colonel Antonio López Figueroa (center), was present at the intersections of the so-called Trujillo Alto expressway to supervise the work of the officers. (Stephanie Rojas)
Officers took to the streets early in the morning to direct traffic. (Vanessa Serra Diaz)
So far, no major incidents or plugs have been reported as a result of the blackout. (Stephanie Rojas)
The Plaza Carolina shopping center had to close its doors for today due to the lack of electricity. (Ramon “Tonito” Zayas)
During the afternoon, the traffic in the area of the Center for Fine Arts in Guaynabo became a bit heavy, but members of the Municipal Police controlled the situation. (Xavier J. Araújo Berríos)
Guaynabo is one of the municipalities that continues without electricity service. (Xavier J. Araújo Berríos)
So far, PREPA and LUMA Energy have restored electricity service in 12 municipalities. (Xavier J. Araújo Berríos)
After 24 hours from the start of the blackout, two thirds of the subscribers continued without electricity service. (Stephanie Rojas)
Camila Franco tries to pass the time while power is restored in Carolina by filling out a crossword puzzle. (Stephanie Rojas)
Crossword puzzles are also a form of fun for Franco’s relatives. (Stephanie Rojas)
Meanwhile, William Reyes is working on preparing an electric generator to be able to use at least one fan and to turn on the refrigerator in his residence. (Stephanie Rojas)
Shortly after 24 hours since the blackout occurred, Puerto Ricans were preparing to spend another night in the dark. (Stephanie Rojas)