Buenos Aires Residents Protest Chronic Electricity Outages

Residents in the Almagro and Villa Crespo neighborhoods of Buenos Aires have taken to the streets to protest persistent electricity outages that have plagued their communities for two months. The demonstrations highlight the growing frustration over the unreliable power supply.

The affected residents report experiencing frequent, intermittent power cuts, forcing them to rely on generators at a significant cost. They have documented a series of outages occurring on multiple dates in June, July, and August, attributing some to generator issues and others to heavy rains. The situation has become untenable, impacting the elderly, infants, and the general daily functioning of households.

Edesur, the electricity provider for the area, reported nearly 5,400 users without power across its entire service area as of Tuesday evening. While specific outages were not reported in Almagro and Villa Crespo at that exact moment, the residents' complaints stem from a pattern of disruptions over the past two months. A significant outage in July affected nearly 20,000 Edesur users, concentrated in Almagro, Villa Crespo, and Caballito.

Residents have expressed their dissatisfaction with the response from Edesur and city authorities, noting that their complaints to regulatory bodies like ENRE and the Defensor del Pueblo have gone unaddressed. They point to a damaged Edesur camera at the intersection of Aníbal Troilo and Corrientes, which flooded and is now at risk of collapse, as a symbol of the infrastructure issues. The company reportedly blames the Buenos Aires city government, while residents feel caught in the middle.