Ecuador will experience ongoing power outages through the end of the year, driven by an energy shortage caused by a severe drought, Energy Minister Ines Manzano announced on Monday.
“We will face limited power cuts until late December,” Manzano said in an interview with local broadcaster Teleamazonas. She added that the government is working to minimize the duration of these outages, which could stretch to as long as 10 hours.
Despite the challenges, Manzano reassured the public that the situation would improve by the end of November. “We are taking steps to manage, improve, and mitigate the service interruptions,” she said.
The country is currently grappling with its worst drought in 60 years, which has resulted in a shortfall of 1,080 megawatts in its energy supply.
The crisis escalated further on September 30 when Colombia, also affected by extreme drought conditions, temporarily halted its electricity exports to Ecuador.
The blackouts have hit Ecuador’s economy hard, with businesses reportedly losing around $12 million for every hour without power.
