Río Lagartos, Las Coloradas Enter Second Day Without Power

Río Lagartos, Yucatán — A power outage that began on Tuesday has pushed Río Lagartos and the nearby community of Las Coloradas into a deepening crisis, with both towns still without electricity Wednesday afternoon after more than 24 hours in the dark.

The failure quickly escalated from a supply disruption into a problem that is now hurting the local economy, tourism, and daily life for hundreds of families. Shops, restaurants, hotels, cold-storage facilities, grocery stores, and fish dealers have watched losses mount by the hour, while the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) has not restored service or offered a clear explanation for the prolonged outage.

Perishable goods have been the hardest hit. Dozens of businesses have reported losing food, seafood, meat, dairy, beverages, and other products that require refrigeration. At cold-storage plants holding high-value fish catches, losses could climb into the thousands of pesos, threatening the livelihoods of those who depend on the fishing industry.

The blackout has also dealt a direct blow to tourism, the main economic engine of Río Lagartos. Visitors who arrived Tuesday found restaurants unable to operate fully, hotels running with limited services, shops shuttered, and no running water because electric pumps had stopped. Several tourists left the port town altogether, taking with them what would have been a significant source of revenue for local businesses.

Service providers said the outage comes at the worst possible time, during the vacation season when they normally see some of the year’s highest visitor numbers and hope to recoup investments made during slower months.

Residents said power failures have become a recurring problem in recent years, particularly during periods of high demand. They argue that the area’s electrical infrastructure has been overwhelmed by tourism and commercial growth, and that the CFE has yet to offer a lasting solution.

Families have also been left to endure high temperatures without fans or air conditioning, and many are struggling to keep food and medication cold. Limited water access has compounded the hardship, as pumping systems rely entirely on electricity.

Now, business owners and residents are asking who will be held responsible for their losses. Many say they doubt the CFE will offer compensation, leaving them to absorb the cost of spoiled merchandise, lost income, and canceled reservations themselves.

Frustration is building. Residents and business leaders say they are considering protest measures to demand immediate action and prevent future outages. They warn that more is at stake than the livelihoods of hundreds of families: the reputation of one of the Yucatán coast’s leading tourist destinations is also on the line.

Río Lagartos and Las Coloradas remain in the dark, awaiting the return of power and an answer from the CFE about what caused a failure that has brought losses running into the millions, disrupted the fishing trade, hurt commerce, and chased away tourists in the middle of peak season.