Around a hundred residents of the Reforma Agraria neighborhood, fourth section, blocked the main avenues of their community in protest against the lack of attention from the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE). They have been without power for more than five days, resulting in food spoilage and a lack of internet connectivity.
Rosa Martha Espinoza Tovar, a resident of the neighborhood, explained to La Jornada that this is not the first time they have been without electricity. The problem has persisted for about fifteen years. It is all due to power lines located near trees, which, when exposed to strong winds, cause a short circuit in a transformer. She indicated that after the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) failed to respond to their calls, “we had no other option (but to block the avenues). There are many stores here, and everyone’s goods are spoiling. We kept calling the commission. At one point, they rudely blocked all the neighbors. First, they told us it would be an hour, then that the commission was already on its way; they always lie to us.”
Espinoza Tovar added that, in addition to the stores, people who go to work early are using candles for light, and food has spoiled in many homes. “I’m insulin-dependent, so I had to order bags of ice and buy a cooler to keep my insulin cold. The person who rents from me has a juice stand, and everything spoiled.”
According to the neighbors, the first responder from the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) “arrived rude, arrogant, and unpleasant.” He tried to connect the power and caused an explosion in the transformer.
Finally, he stated that “the commission workers have already gone to fix the problem they caused. They told us this is going to take a while. I just ask that they recognize that the commission is no longer equipped to handle the way Querétaro is growing.”
Neighbors added that they are charging their cell phones and computers at their workplaces or at the homes of relatives in other neighborhoods.
Just this May 22nd, through a press release, the state government announced that Governor Mauricio Kuri González led a meeting with the manager of the Bajío Distribution Division of the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE), Gilberto Cuautle Rosales, where they agreed to work together to address the needs of the population.
Source: jornada
