Ecuador Minister Highlights Climate Crisis Amid 12-Hour Power Cuts

Power cuts in Ecuador are set to increase nationwide to 12 hours per day, up from a previously planned eight hours, as the government addresses an urgent energy crisis brought on by the worst drought in recent memory.

Energy Minister Antonio Goncalves informed journalists that adverse weather conditions persist in regions where the country’s dams are located. Last week, authorities announced the initial eight-hour cuts, but the situation has worsened. “The important issue is that the climate is crazy; it has changed a lot,” Goncalves remarked, noting that the dry season began two months earlier than usual. “We depend heavily on hydrology. I can’t predict something that only God knows.”

During a speech at the United Nations General Assembly, President Daniel Noboa described Ecuador’s current drought as the most severe in 61 years, citing it as “chaos and much worse than expected.”

Electricity providers have also revised their schedules for the planned cuts, which will now extend through the coming weekend, originally set to conclude on Thursday.