Mexico electricity outages spark protests and billing disputes

Residents across several Mexican states, including Yucatán, Quintana Roo, Campeche, and Tabasco, are facing significant disruptions due to frequent electricity outages and infrastructure failures. In Mérida and the Delio Moreno neighborhood, residents have staged street blockades to demand that the Comisión Federal de Electricidad (CFE) replace aging transformers and address power surges that damage appliances.

In Quintana Roo, communities in Playa del Carmen and José María Morelos report recurring blackouts that affect daily life and food preservation. Some residents have resorted to blocking major roads, such as Avenida Colosio, to pressure authorities for a permanent solution. Meanwhile, in Cancún, citizens have protested against sudden, massive increases in electricity bills, with some reports showing costs tripling despite consistent usage patterns.

In the Yucatán peninsula, the issues extend to the agricultural sector, where cattle ranchers near Tizimín reported losing essential services for days, impacting water pumps and farm operations. While some localized issues have been addressed following direct pressure on CFE offices, the broader instability of the electrical grid continues to cause economic strain and public unrest across the region.