Ecuador experienced a widespread national blackout on Wednesday, June 19, 2024, causing significant disruptions in major cities including Quito and Guayaquil. The blackout, reported by citizens via social media, was later confirmed by the Ecuadorian government as a result of a failure in the national electricity transmission line.

According to PRIMICIAS, the root cause was a malfunction in the Taday Zhoray electrical connection line, a crucial component of the 230,000-volt network that links the entire country. This failure triggered a cascading disconnection, leading to the massive power outages, the most extensive seen in Ecuador in at least eight years.

Speculation suggests that recent shutdowns of the Coca Codo Sinclair and Agoyán hydroelectric plants over the weekend may have contributed to instability in the transmission lines.

Impact Across Major Cities

In Quito, the blackout affected both northern and southern sectors, including Iñaquito, Mariana de Jesús, Guamaní, and Quitumbe, as well as the valleys of Tumbaco and Los Chillos. Power was gradually restored in some areas of Quito around 4:00 PM.

Guayaquil also experienced significant outages in northern areas like Urdesa and Atarazana, and in the southern part of the city.

The blackout caused widespread traffic chaos in both Quito and Guayaquil. In Quito, the Metropolitan Transit Agency (AMT) reported that 1,027 intersections were affected, deploying 580 agents to manage traffic. The Quito Metro system was also forced to halt operations.

“The fact must be very significant for even the energy in the Quito Metro that uses an isolated system to have been affected,” stated Quito Mayor Pabel Muñoz on X, adding that municipal services relying on electricity were suspended.

Reports of outages also surfaced from other cities in the Sierra region, such as Ibarra and Loja, and coastal cities including Machala and Salinas.

Efforts Underway to Restore Power

Electric companies, including those in Quito, responded to user complaints on social media, assuring that they were working to restore service as quickly as possible. The National Energy Operator, Cenace, which had previously warned of potential power outages between late 2024 and February 2025, announced it would release an official statement shortly.

The blackout has underscored concerns about the stability of Ecuador's energy infrastructure, particularly following recent disruptions at major hydroelectric plants.