Puerto Rico Blackout Triggers Chaos, Public Anger Grows Over Worsening Crisis
Puerto Rico is once again in turmoil after a massive blackout plunged the island into darkness on Wednesday afternoon—the second such outage in just four months. The fragile power grid, still not fully restored since the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria in 2017, failed again, leaving millions of residents and tourists without electricity.
Airports, hospitals, and hotels packed with Easter holiday tourists were all affected, causing widespread disruption. By Wednesday night, power had been partially restored in some areas, but officials estimate full restoration could take 48 to 72 hours.
The outage impacted 1.4 million residents, while 328,000 people lost access to water. Traffic was thrown into chaos, hundreds of businesses shut down, and panic buying of generators, ice, and candles added to the public distress. Those unable to afford generators struggled the most, and the widespread use of fuel-powered equipment caused both noise and air pollution.
Public anger mounted, with citizens demanding the cancellation of contracts with Luma Energy, the power distribution company, and Genera PR, the power generation company. “Why does this always happen during holidays?” questioned local resident Jose Luis Richardson.
Governor Jennifer Gonzalez, who cut her vacation short to return, called the situation “a matter of shame” and promised to terminate the contracts. “We cannot tolerate such failures,” she said, noting that the blackout cost Puerto Rico approximately $230 million in lost revenue per day.
Business leaders also raised alarms. Ramon C. Barquin III, president of the United Retail Center, warned that recurring power failures threaten investment in Puerto Rico, stating, “We cannot keep living in this cycle of blackouts without serious infrastructure reforms.”
Amid the chaos, communities stepped up. In Canóvanas, the mayor mobilized brigades to assist bedridden and medically dependent residents. Vega Alta’s mayor opened a center to supply electricity for life-saving equipment.
Genera PR‘s VP of operations, Daniel Hernandez, acknowledged a major transmission failure and admitted that the current grid remains unstable. The incident highlights ongoing vulnerabilities in Puerto Rico’s power infrastructure, which has struggled to recover since Hurricane Maria.