Illegal Power Sales Cause Chetumal Blackouts

Chetumal — Residents of the irregular settlement Los Palomos in Chetumal have denounced the illegal sale of electricity in their neighborhood, which is causing a severe overload on the transformer supplying power to the area. According to neighbors, this situation not only affects the residents of Los Palomos but also interrupts service in the surrounding subdivisions, which suffer from recurrent blackouts due to this irregularity.

The residents accused those running this illegal business of using clandestine connections, known as "diablitos," and charging between 15,000 and 20,000 pesos per household for the service. Despite the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) being aware of the situation, the neighbors state that no measures have been taken to sanction those responsible or to regularize the electrical service in the colony.

Ana Palomo, one of the affected residents, explained that the transformer installed at the entrance of the settlement is small and does not cover the demand of the residents living further inside. Although the neighbors have consistently requested that the CFE regularize the service and allow them to pay for their energy consumption, they have received no response to date.

“We want to do things right. We all agree on getting regularized, paying our electricity bills, and having adequate service, but there are people who take advantage of this situation by selling energy illegally,” commented Palomo.

Currently, approximately 83 families in the colony have requested the installation of adequate electrical infrastructure, such as poles and wiring, but the CFE has not yet responded to their petitions. This has led many residents to continue relying on clandestine taps, which worsens the overload on the power lines and generates constant failures in the supply.

The inhabitants indicated that the lack of adequate service has caused damage to their household appliances. “Fans burn out, refrigerators don't cool properly. We are tired of this situation, because the CFE installed meters and a transformer that are not sufficient to cover our needs. Furthermore, some people continue to illegally tap into the grid, which harms us even more,” added Palomo.

The problem, the residents explained, is evident: the transformer does not have the capacity to supply the demand of the entire colony and the electrical network is inadequate for the number of homes that depend on it. Therefore, the neighbors have demanded a prompt solution and have asked the CFE to install infrastructure that can guarantee a power supply for everyone, ensuring that each household pays for the service legally and fairly.

The issue of clandestine connections and the illegal sale of electricity continues to affect the Los Palomos colony, highlighting the urgent need for intervention by the authorities and the state-owned utility company to resolve the situation and guarantee that residents can access a quality basic service.