Five Playa del Carmen Neighborhoods Endure Days of Blackouts and Appliance Damage

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — Thousands of residents across five neighborhoods in Playa del Carmen have spent the past five days dealing with continuous power outages that have spoiled food and damaged household appliances, prompting renewed calls for authorities to fix the problem once and for all.

The affected areas include Villas del Sol, Paseos de Sisal, Xcacel, Palmas I and parts of the Ejidal neighborhood. Residents say the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) has been cutting power during the day and again overnight, with constant surges between.

“CFE cuts the supply at 10 a.m. and restores it three hours later, only to cut it again after midnight until 5 a.m.,” said Analí Cárdenas, a resident. “These constant interruptions have damaged appliances.”

Others reported similar damage. “My washing machine burned out from the overloads during each outage,” said resident José Antonio Ledesma. “We’re also throwing away spoiled food, and the bill will arrive soon even though we have no power.”

Diana Morales said her air conditioner had been damaged by repeated voltage spikes. “We’ve had this problem for five straight days and see no sign of improvement in the service,” she said.

Residents also criticized local officials for allowing new housing developments while the power grid remains unreliable. “The municipal government keeps approving permits for new developments instead of addressing existing problems,” said Juan Aguilera.

Moisés Mendoza accused officials of offering only empty promises. “The city has grown and demand has increased, but there isn’t enough infrastructure to cover it. This is government irresponsibility,” he said.

Violeta Guzmán pointed out an apparent double standard. “Informal settlements that don’t pay for electricity don’t suffer blackouts, while those of us who pay high rates don’t get service. It makes no sense,” she said.

Residents said they are considering what steps to take to pressure authorities into resolving the situation before it gets out of hand.