QUITO, Ecuador (AP) — The Ecuadorian government will stop rationing electricity services just before the holidays, President Daniel Noboa — who has been heavily criticized for cuts that resulted in three months of daily outages — announced Tuesday. Normal service will resume on December 20.
The government attributed electricity rationing to the worst drought the country has seen in decades. Supply was also affected by neighboring Colombia’s decision to stop selling energy to Ecuador.
Noboa – who is seeking re-election next year – explained on social media that improvements to existing infrastructure, as well as heavy and widespread rainfall since early December, contributed to his decision to restore services.
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He thanked Ecuadorians, some of whom suffered disruptions of up to 14 hours a day, for their “resilience and strength.”
The power outages, which began in mid-September, caused collective losses of about $7.5 billion for businesses, according to industry associations.
