LatinNews Daily - 27 October 2023

*Ecuador’s energy minister, Fernando Santos, has announced that the government will impose blackouts for several hours a day, citing the “worst drought in 50 years” which has affected production at hydroelectric power plants. According to local press reports, the blackouts will last for four hours in the Sierra and Amazon regions and three hours in the coastal region per day. The announcement comes a week after the government announced an emergency in the country’s electricity sector due to low water levels. Colombia has been grappling with the same problem, forcing the country to reduce its energy supply to Ecuador which has caused power cuts and driven up prices. Santos was cited by the media as saying that Ecuador needs an additional 460 megawatts to meet demand and that the power cuts would last until mid-December.