As Christmas nears, Ecuador’s homes get a break from power cuts but companies still face rationing

QUITO, Ecuador — As Christmas approaches and people decorate their homes with lights, Ecuadoreans are getting some relief from the severe power cuts that have hounded the country this year with President Daniel Noboa saying there will be no power rationing for residential areas - for the time being. Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print A nail technician gives a manicure lit by a rechargeable light bulb during a power outage in Quito, Ecuador, Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024, amid an energy crisis and blackouts that the government has attributed to a drought. Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Ecuador’s latest power rationing scheme, which began on Dec. 20, has also prompted some analysts to question whether President Noboa is using the nation’s scarce supply of electricity for political ends. For Esteban Ron, the dean of social sciences at Quito’s SEK University, Noboa’s decision to suspend power cuts in residential areas is part of an effort by the president to “redeem” himself with Ecuadorean voters and “show that he is fighting for the people.” Ines Mejia explains how she had to reduce the size of her nativity scene, during an interview in her home in Quito, Ecuador, Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024, amid an energy crisis and blackouts that the government has attributed to a drought. Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Customers shop for Christmas decorations in Quito, Ecuador, Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024, amid an energy crisis and blackouts that the government has attributed to a drought.