Power Outages Spark Blockades and Protests Across Yucatan as Anger at CFE Grows

Mérida, Yucatán — A crisis of widespread power outages is escalating across Yucatán, with hundreds of families in Mérida, Kanasín, and inland towns left without electricity for hours or even days amid high temperatures and rain. Officials have not provided a clear explanation for the outages or a timeline for restoration.

On Tuesday, residents of the Miraflores neighborhood in Mérida blocked streets and surrounded a CFE (Federal Electricity Commission) truck, preventing workers from leaving until the outage was fixed. The blackout began at 3 p.m. the previous day. CFE employees said repairs could not be completed until engineers arrived to replace a collapsed pole, sparking frustration among residents who reported long waits with no concrete answers.

Protests also erupted in the western town of Samahil, where residents blocked vehicle traffic after more than 48 hours without power. Representatives from poultry company Bachoco arrived to negotiate passage for stranded trucks, but protesters remained firm, demanding immediate restoration of service.

Samahil Mayor Samuel Mayén said the town council has been in contact with CFE since the problem began but acknowledged no favorable response has been received. “We have been attentive from the start, managing and accompanying affected families because we understand the desperation and needs this situation creates. We will keep insisting until we get a solution for Samahil,” he said.

Power outages are also severely affecting neighborhoods in Mérida and Kanasín, including Juan Pablo II, San Antonio Xluch, La Ermita, San Sebastián, Salvador Alvarado Sur, and Xelpac, where residents report being without electricity for 23 to 30 consecutive hours.

In some areas, desperation has led residents to block avenues and burn objects in the street to pressure authorities. In Juan Pablo II, residents said a transformer collapsed due to rain, while in San Antonio Xluch and Salvador Alvarado Sur, protests intensified due to lack of attention.

The outages are directly affecting families’ health and finances. Residents of La Ermita and San Sebastián reported losing medications that require refrigeration, including insulin and cancer treatments, as well as spoiled food and basic goods.

One case reported on Calle 48 between 73-B and 75 in Xelpac involved residents who said they had been without power for more than 48 hours.

As protests and road closures continue to grow across the state, citizens are questioning CFE’s response capacity and warning that the problem is no longer an isolated failure but a crisis affecting thousands in Yucatán.