On the morning of this Sunday, July 23, the inhabitants of the municipality of Pailitas, Cesar, took the Troncal del Caribe as a sign of protest against the company that provides the energy service, Afinia. The demonstration was a response to the constant intermittencies in the electrical supply that have caused damage to various household appliances in the community.
According to what was expressed by the protesters, the measure was taken to express their growing annoyance at the “deficient service” they have received from Afinia in the department of Cesar. They allege that they are tired of the continuous problems they have faced and demand a direct dialogue with the manager of the entity before lifting the blockade on the Troncal del Caribe.
“The inhabitants of the municipality of Pailitas, we have just started an indefinite strike, this because of the abuses of which we are victims by the company Afinia. Until we can talk with the manager of the entity, we are not going to lift the blockade on the Troncal del Caribe,” said a spokesperson for the group of protesters.
WHAT DOES AFINIA SAY?
EL PILÓN spoke with Jorge Rivero, manager of Afinia, to learn about the measures that will be taken in response to the public order situation led by the Pailitas community. Rivero explained that “the high demand caused by the heat wave that has been occurring on the Atlantic coast, a situation reflected in the electrical node of the El Banco substation, Magdalena, from where the distribution line that feeds the municipality of Pailitas originates. When the system is recharged, it causes users to perceive variations in voltage, in some remote locations or in the tail of the system”.
The manager assured that they are already taking measures to provide a solution to the community of Pailitas. “There is already a contingency plan in place for this week to install specialized equipment in the Pailitas substation that will improve the quality of energy in that municipality,” he added.
In addition, Rivero highlighted the project in execution of an important electrical work of the regional transmission system in charge of the Grupo de Energía de Bogotá. “Two 110KV lines are being built that connect the new Loma substation with the El Paso and La Jagua de Ibirico substations, which is expected to contribute to improving the situation in the long term,” he emphasized.
Por Yustin Varela