Trinidad to reject high prices of electricity

Residents of Trinidad stopped this Monday, May 29, in demand of better prices in the electricity service rate they receive, as well as in public lighting. In the same way, they request the resignation of the authorities of Ende Beni, their electricity supplier.

The protest measure was announced last week by the Beni Civic Committee. Through social networks it was learned that the electricity was cut off in that institution late Monday afternoon. This was confirmed by the activist Pamela Flores, who is in the place.

Flores, who was in Trinidad this Monday, indicated that the strike was forceful and that citizens organized themselves, given the high prices of electricity that they must pay. “They felt overwhelmed,” he said.

Different media outlets in Trinidad shared photos and videos of residents who took to the streets to protest, through blockades. This happened in neighborhoods, such as: Santa Rosa, San Antonio, June 6, MangalitoApril 12 and Pompeii.

Neighbors interviewed by Radio Patujú, Golochtel TV, JC Noticias and Beni TV expressed their annoyance at the high prices of electricity they have to pay each month. They also observed that the garbage collection rate is charged taking into account electricity consumption, and that it is not a fixed rate. Some requested the resignation of the Ende Beni authorities, because they consider that it does not respond to their requests.

Unemployment in Trinidad for better electricity prices/Photo RRSS

Another of the questions has to do with the so-called economic recovery, which, according to residents, will not be possible if electricity is expensive. They perceive that companies do not invest in Beni for this reason.

Deputy Priscila Dantes also participated in the protest and told Golochtel TV that she supports the citizen’s request. Besides, questioned the authorities of the supplier company of electric power.

“The resignation of the main managers of Ende Beni, (and) of the vice-minister (of Electricity) Caero, is requested, because they are a bagel; are these people who have been driving all these years, Ende Beni; they just rotate. Now one is a deputy minister, previously he was a financial administrator, later he was a general, and they continue to rotate among themselves,” denounced Dantes.

On the other hand, the Trinidadians showed their extreme annoyance at statements made by the person in charge of Ende Beni, since he supposedly said that the women from that place were only good for secretaries and men for motorcycle taxi drivers. Both Dantes, as well as representatives of the interviewed motorcycle taxi drivers and neighbors, were angered by these statements.

A faction of Trinidad motorcycle taxi drivers complied with the strike. They stationed themselves in the Plaza El Tamarindo. They regretted the statements of the manager of Ende Beni, which they took as an insult to the work they do daily.

For his part, the Vice Minister of Electricity, Édgar Caero, interviewed by Radio Patujú, stated:

The national government recognizes that there are deficiencies in the serviceThat is why the distribution company has been instructed to intervene, to carry out the different tasks that can provide a solution to this problem. And also the theme of rate is in work tableswhich must have results for the next tariff period that ends in October 2023, and begins in November 2023, the new tariff period for 4 years”.

Ende Beni worked this Monday. Over the weekend, through a statement posted on her social networks, she announced that she would do it. On the day of Monday sent crews of workers to carry out inspections on home meters. This work was taken by BTV, the state channel, as proof that the citizen strike had supposedly failed.

Meanwhile, the Beni defense delegateAlberto Condori, called for dialogue to both parties, through a video that was published on their social networks. Condori offered to mediate the conflict.

The ombudsman delegate asked to listen to the demands of the population and indicated that there was no answer when, from that institution, they called the Ende Beni telephone numbers, as well as the WhatsApp number.

“This is unfortunate, because the population complains, as a user and consumer, without your right to claim. In this understanding, we also ask that the lines for Odeco complaints be opened and we also demand speedy attention to this problem, which is generating delays and is affecting the population that lives day to day, “said Condori.