A blackout throughout the island hit Puerto Rico on Wednesday when largely Catholics residents of the United States territory prepared to celebrate Easter weekend, said a spokesman for the electric company.
All the hospitals on the island are operating in generators after the energy left at 12:38 pm east time, Veronica Ferraiuoli, interim governor and secretary of state of Puerto Rico, said at a press conference. The source of the interruption was in the southern part of the island, where a transmission line was affected, according to Josué Colón, executive director of the Puerto Rico Electricity Authority.
The 1.4 million customers on the island were without energy, told Associated Press, Hugo Sorrentini, spokesman for Luma Energy, which supervises the transmission and distribution of energy. “The whole island is without generation,” he said.
The restoration of power will probably cross Thorsday, or at least 48 hours, said Colón. At least 78,000 customers also without water, according to the Aqueduct and Sewerage Authority of Puerto Rico.
It was not immediately clear what the closure caused, the last thing in a series of large blackouts on the island in recent years. The last major blackout occurred Less than five months ago on New Year’s Eve. Governor Jenniffer González, who was traveling, said the officials were “working diligently” to address the interruption. Ferraiuoli said the governor is trying to return as soon as possible.
Thousands of Puerto Ricans were furious for the last interruption, and many renewed their calls that the government canceled the contract with Luma and PR, which supervises the generation of energy on the island.
Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny said in Spanish in X: “When are we going to do something?” Apparently refers to the interruption.
“This is a total disaster,” said Orlando Huertas, 68, while drinking a drink with a friend in a street bar and criticized the government for not doing enough to face chronic interruptions.
The boxes of people were forced to walk next to the rails of the rapid transit system that serves the capital, San Juan, while dozens of business, including the largest shopping center in the Caribbean, were forced to close. Professional baseball and basketball games were canceled when the buzzing of the generators and the smell of smoke filled the air.
“After the blackout of the current island, our administration is actively dedicated to continuous communication with the White House and all relevant federal agencies,” said the Federal Affairs Administration of Puerto Rico in a statement. “We are working closely with the federal government to ensure that Puerto Rico recovers the necessary support and that all essential services are restored as quickly and in a way possible.”
For Wednesday afternoon, about 5,000 to 7,000 clients restored their power, although this number is expected to fluctuate. Those without generators were filled with grocery stores and other companies to buy ice.
“I am desperate. My generator is broken,” said Carmen Suriel, who worried about the impact of the blackout on her two children, a six -month -old boy and a five -year -old boy with Down syndrome, since the temperature increased to Puerto Rico in Weternessday.
Alma Ramírez, 69, said she was frustrated with constant interruptions, some of which had already damaged her television and microwave, which forced her to buy new appliances.
“They have to improve,” he said about the government. “Those who are affected are us, the poor.”
The island of 3.2 million residents has a poverty rate of more than 40%, and not everyone can pay panels or solar generators. While there was an impulse to use more renewable energy sources under the administration of former president of the United States, Joe Biden, who caused Puerto Rico with mega generators and other resources, experts worry that it does not happen under the president of the United States, Donald Trump.
Puerto Rico has had problems with chronic interruptions since September 2017 When Hurricane Maria hit the island Like a powerful category 4 storm, dragging an electric grid that the equipment is still struggling to rebuild. As the island was beginning to rebuild, it was hit again by Hurricane Fiona in 2022.
The grid had already deteriorated as a result of the lack of maintenance and investment.
Following Hurricane María, the Government of Puerto Rico in 2021 Luma hiredA Canadian-American private company based in San Juan, to handle the transmission and distribution of electricity on the island. The energy was previously supervised by the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority of state property, which left Bankruptcy in 2017 As the Government faced billions of dollars in public debt payments.