The organization stated that power cuts area causing million-dollar losses in the productive sector, from small businesses to large industries.
The Conaie considered that the current situation, beyond the existing drought, is the result of an alarming ineptitude and a lack of planning by the government, which has imposed neoliberal policies in the public energy sector.
They also criticized the disparity in electricity rates, with citizens paying higher prices per kilowatt/hour, while large companies, including those in the mining sector, enjoy preferential costs.
CONAIE also warned about the possibility of mass layoffs and an eventual privatization of the electric power sector.
After days of keeping silent on the issue, President Noboa referred yesterday to the energy situation, saying Ecuador is currently going through one of the most severe climate crises in recent times. He pointed out that “due to wrong decisions of the past we are depending solely on the climate,” in reference to the expansion of hydroelectric generation.
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