Brazil beyond the Amazon: A Brazilian state is without access to energy for over 2 weeks
- Generation Now
- Nov 22, 2020
- 3 min read
By Catarina Vita
November 16, 2020
The Latin American nation of Brazil has become infamous for its negligence to the Amazon wildfires and the rising number of COVID-19 cases. Nonetheless, an issue that urges for immediate governmental aid is the blackout occurring in one of the Brazilian states, Amapá. Located in Northern Brazil, Amapá and its surrounding states have always felt separate from the rest of Brazil; the Southwest region is the most internationally famous area in Brazil, so the culture and customs from other states are often neglected. However, the “Southwest-centrism” in Brazil reached an extreme when Amapá’s energy shortage was only brought to awareness by national media a few days after it began. The energy shortage began on November 3, 2020, and it is still not completely resolved as of November 16, 2020. The energy shortage has left the people of Amapá hungry, tired, thirsty, and beyond angry.
How it Happened
Macapá, the capital city of Amapá, has several power stations that provide energy for all other cities of the state, and the main station was privatized by the government and is now co-owned by the companies Starboard Asset (80%) and the Brazilian investment company Perfin (20%). On November 3, 2020, this station caught fire due to its lack of maintenance. The other “backup” stations in Macapá were deserted, also due to lack of maintenance.
Consequences
Around 730,000 people were without access to food, water, electricity, and other essential items. Since the start of the blackout, people have managed to stock food and water, but not much could be done since food would rot without refrigeration, and water would quickly run out. People gathered around rivers filled with sewage to take baths, all of this during a pandemic. Doctors in Amapá had to opt for mouth-to-mouth resuscitation since medical apparatus were not available to them. Citizens brought their thirst, hunger, and anger to the streets as the federal and local governments did not come to a resolution to the problem even after eleven days without energy. The economy of Amapá fell apart as big and small businesses were out of order for days. A regular night of sleep is now alien to the people of Amapá, as the heat and anxiety keep them from getting rest.
In Amapá, experiencing energy shortages is not uncommon. Before the shortage, residents would report around 20 or 30 minutes of energy outages a day, but this blackout is beyond anything they could have fathomed. Those living below the poverty line in this state have had fewer opportunities to hoard food and water than the upper class, and their precarious living conditions make resting and living exponentially worse due to the blackout.
Local and Federal Governments
Some days after the start of the blackout, the local government of Amapá could restore a portion of its energy with the help of the federal government, and the state established an energy alternation for each of the cities in Amapá. This alternation allotted each of the cities and neighbourhoods six hours of energy per day, but people from all over the state reported only two hours of energy per day.
The federal government says 100% of the energy will be restored by Wednesday, November 19. They also enacted a plan called “emergency aid” due to the rise in poverty during the COVID-19 pandemic, which consists of giving R$600 (~ $110 USD) monthly to families in need. The Brazilian government plans on giving this amount of money to the families that are eligible in Amapá. According to the Electricity Company of Amapá (CEA), 100% of the energy in its capital city was restored, but only from 7:00 a.m. until noon. The alternations of energy are increasing in time, but are still faulty due to the lack of energy.
How to Help
This event shows the most disappointing side of Brazil: its negligence to other states besides the economically evolved ones. To stop perpetuating this culture in Brazil and around the world, it is crucial to spread this information so that it will reach people that can help. Please do not forget about this; the blackout was a tragedy that could be prevented if the local government of Amapá did not privatize the company, and instead invested in maintenance to the stations in need. There are some organizations you can donate to that give necessary items to families in need.
Provide aid by donating to Amapá Solidário / Solidarity with Amapá:
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