Chetumal, Quintana Roo — Residents of several rural communities in Bacalar, including Huatusco, Isidro Fabela, Altos de Sevilla, Payo Obispo, and Othón P. Blanco, have been enduring frequent power outages and voltage fluctuations for weeks, with the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) failing to respond promptly to their reports, leaving them without electricity for days at a time.
Frustrated by the damage to their appliances and the spoilage of food and medicine, residents not only blocked a highway for several hours but also detained a CFE crew sent to negotiate and begin inspecting and repairing distribution lines.
The pressure forced an urgent meeting with the CFE superintendent, Bacalar municipal authorities, and ejido commissioners from the affected communities to address the anger through direct dialogue.
Although CFE restored power fully and committed to a maintenance plan to prevent future failures, residents remain skeptical. They have given the utility a 90-day deadline to fulfill its promises, warning that if the issues are not resolved, they will stop paying their electricity bills, resume highway blockades, and may even protest at CFE offices in Bacalar or the state capital.
“They said it won’t happen again, that they’ll repair the lines and replace poles. We hope this really stops the blackouts. It’s unacceptable that refrigerators, TVs, and fans keep burning out, especially now with the heat and mosquitoes. We’ll see if they comply; if not, we’ll take more drastic measures,” residents said.
The residents expressed exhaustion with the deficient service and frequent cuts, and warned that more communities may join the protests if the interruptions continue. They criticized CFE for not providing concrete reasons for the outages, only citing overload and tripped breakers. CFE plans to install additional feeders, maintain transformers, and clear high-tension lines to ensure stable supply.
