Ecuador rations electricity as drought persists in the northern Andes

QUITO, Ecuador (AP) — Ecuador on Tuesday began to ration electricity in the country's main cities as a drought linked to the El Niño weather pattern depletes reservoirs and limits output at hydroelectric plants that produce about 75% of the nation’s power.

The power cuts were announced on Monday night by the ministry of energy, which said in a statement that it would review its decision on Wednesday night.

“We urge Ecuadorians to cut their electricity consumption in this critical week,” the statement read. “And consider that each kilowatt and each drop of water that are not consumed will help us face this reality.”

The power cuts in Ecuador come days after dry weather forced Colombia’s capital city of Bogotá to ration water as its reservoirs reached record lows, threatening local supplies of tap water.

In the town of La Calera, on the outskirts of Bogotá, water trucks visited neighborhoods where water has been scarce recently because a local stream that supplies the town with water is drying up. Local residents lined up outside the water trucks with buckets to collect as much as they could carry.

“I'm worried about what's happening,” said Carlos Arturo Rueda, a 72-year-old who was gathering water from the truck. “We need to do more to preserve this precious liquid.”

Precipitation has diminished in Ecuador and Colombia this year due to warming temperatures in the south Pacific Ocean, which can cause floods along South America’s west coast but can also generate intense droughts in the Andean valleys, where many of Ecuador’s and Colombia’s main cities are located.

In Colombia, where hydroelectric plants are also struggling, officials said on Tuesday that they are considering awarding tax credits to companies that reduce their electricity consumption.

During the first week of April Colombia suspended electricity exports to Ecuador in an attempt to save energy for domestic needs. Colombia gets around 70% of its electricity from hydroelectric plants.

Camilo Prieto, a climate change professor at Bogotá's Javeriana University, said that the current spell of dry weather is not as extreme as previous droughts related to El Niño, such as a drought that caused power cuts in Colombia in the early 1990s. But he added that demand for electricity has grown over the years in Colombia and Ecuador, while these countries have made the “mistake” of continuing to rely on hydroelectric power.

“The world has learned that an energy mix that is diverse and combines different kinds of low-emission sources is safer and more reliable,” Prieto said. “If demand continues to grow and the energy mix in these countries is not diversified, they will continue to be vulnerable.”

On Tuesday newspapers around Ecuador published schedules for power cuts in cities that included Quito, Cuenca and Guayaquil, where most homes and many businesses were left without power for three hours.

Ecuador had also experienced power cuts, related to droughts in October, January and February.

Karen Verduga, the owner of a restaurant with six employees in Quito, said that she was afraid some of her frozen meats and vegetables would decompose if the current round of power cuts continues.

She said that her workers could not use blenders to make soups and sauces. Instead they were preparing food manually for several hours. “We’ve been forced to do things the old fashioned way,” Verduga said.

Some merchants said the power cuts provided them with opportunities.

Oriannis Arcano, a saleswoman at a small candle shop, said that the blackouts have helped to boost her sales. Yet, she said the blackouts presented problems for her business because “most people want to pay with cards” that don’t work when there’s no electricity.

During an event in Guayaquil, Ecuador’s largest city, President Daniel Noboa said that some power plants in the country had been “sabotaged” by his political rivals. Ecuador is set to hold a referendum Sunday where some of Noboa's security policies will be voted on, including a proposal to legalize the extradition of drug traffickers and other dangerous criminals.

Noboa did not provide any evidence of the alleged acts of sabotage, but said investigations will be launched. He also wrote a message on X, formerly Twitter, asking Ecuador’s energy minister to resign.

“Threats to our country require strong decisions,” Noboa wrote in the message where he also said that the nation's government will subsidize electricity bills in April. “The people of Ecuador cannot pay for the corruption and inefficiency of a few miserable” officials.

Rueda reported from Bogotá

Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america

Residents collect water from a truck amid water rationing in La Calera, on the outskirts of Bogota, Colombia, Tuesday, April 16, 2024. Amid a drought linked to the El Niño weather pattern, several regions of Colombia have adopted measures to curb water consumption while reservoirs are low. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)

Residents line up to collect water from a truck amid water rationing in La Calera, on the outskirts of Bogota, Colombia, Tuesday, April 16, 2024. Amid a drought linked to the El Niño weather pattern, several regions of Colombia have adopted measures to curb water consumption while reservoirs are low. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)

Residents line up to collect water from a truck during water rationing in La Calera, on the outskirts of Bogota, Colombia, Tuesday, April 16, 2024. Amid a drought linked to the El Niño weather pattern, several regions of Colombia have adopted measures to curb water consumption while reservoirs are low. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)

Residents carry a bucket of water to their home after filling it at a water distribution truck while water is rationed in La Calera, on the outskirts of Bogota, Colombia, Tuesday, April 16, 2024. Amid a drought linked to the El Niño weather pattern, several regions of Colombia have adopted measures to curb water consumption while reservoirs are low. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)

Residents line up to collect water from a truck during water rationing in La Calera, on the outskirts of Bogota, Colombia, Tuesday, April 16, 2024. Amid a drought linked to the El Niño weather pattern, several regions of Colombia have adopted measures to curb water consumption while reservoirs are low. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)

Youths line up to collect water from a truck during water rationing in La Calera, on the outskirts of Bogota, Colombia, Tuesday, April 16, 2024. Amid a drought linked to the El Niño weather pattern, several regions of Colombia have adopted measures to curb water consumption while reservoirs are low. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)

A woman runs across an avenue where traffic lights are not working due to a programed power cut ordered by the ministry of energy, in Quito, Ecuador, Tuesday, April 16, 2024. Ecuador faces electricity rationing due to a prolonged drought and high temperatures that have reduced flows to the main hydroelectric plants. (AP Photo/Dolores Ochoa)

A woman lights candles in her store after a programed power cut ordered by the ministry of energy, in Quito, Ecuador, Tuesday, April 16, 2024. Ecuador faces electricity rationing due to a prolonged drought and high temperatures that have reduced flows to the main hydroelectric plants. (AP Photo/Dolores Ochoa)

A customer shops for clothes in a store without electricity due to a programed power cut ordered by the ministry of energy, in Quito, Ecuador, Tuesday, April 16, 2024. Ecuador faces electricity rationing due to a prolonged drought and high temperatures that have reduced flows to the main hydroelectric plants. (AP Photo/Dolores Ochoa)

Restaurant employees carry on with their work using manual kitchen tools due to power cuts ordered by the ministry of energy, in Quito, Ecuador, Tuesday, April 16, 2024. Ecuador has started to ration electricity in its main cities as a drought linked to the El Niño weather pattern depletes reservoirs and limits output at hydroelectric plants. (AP Photo/Dolores Ochoa)

A seller waits for customers despite not having electricity due to a programed power cut by the ministry of energy, in Quito, Ecuador, Tuesday, April 16, 2024. Ecuador faces electricity rationing due to a prolonged drought and high temperatures that have reduced flows to the main hydroelectric plants. (AP Photo/Dolores Ochoa)

TORONTO (AP) — Justin Turner hit two home runs, Danny Jansen added a solo homer and the Toronto Blue Jays held on to beat the Kansas City Royals 6-5 on Monday night.

Turner hit a two-run home run in the first inning and had a leadoff homer in the third. The homers were his third and fourth. It was the 16th multihomer game of his career.

Jansen also connected in the third, his second.

The Blue Jays scored more than five runs for the first time in 21 games, ending a streak that dated back to a 9-8 loss at Yankee Stadium on April 6.

“The best sign was the quality of contact and the amount of balls we kept off the ground,” Turner said. “We’ve been hitting a lot of hard balls but beating them into the ground and not getting any results. I think tonight was probably our best game of the year of having quality contact. That was good to see.”

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had two hits and drove in a run as Toronto won back-to-back games after losing the previous five.

The Blue Jays won for the first time in 12 games this season when their opponent scores at least five runs.

Royals catcher Salvador Perez was scratched from the starting lineup because of a tight back but delivered a pinch-hit single with two out in the ninth. Dairon Blanco ran for Perez, who hit for DH Nelson Velázquez

“His back tightened up a little bit earlier in the day, but he worked on it throughout the game and he said he was 100% there at the end,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said of Perez.

Toronto’s Nate Pearson struck out Kansas City’s Michael Massey to end it, stranding the tying run at third base.

The save was Pearson’s first of the season. He finished for Toronto on a night that regular closer Jordan Romano and fellow right-hander Yimi Garcia were both unavailable.

“They have power arms throughout,” Quatraro said of Toronto’s deep bullpen. “I mean, Pearson is not a bad option throwing 100 miles per hour coming in in the ninth inning.”

Kyle Isbel homered and drove in two runs but the Royals lost their third straight. Freddy Fermin also homered for Kansas City, his first.

Recalled from Triple-A Omaha to make his second career start, Royals right-hander Jonathan Bowlan (0-1) allowed four runs and six hits in 2 2/3 innings, including three home runs.

“The mistakes got hit at the end of the day,” Bowlan said. “I wasn’t pounding the zone how I would have liked and when you fall behind, stuff like this happens.”

Blue Jays right-hander Yariel Rodríguez allowed three runs and six hits in 3 2/3 innings but left with the bases loaded. Génesis Cabrera came on and retired Vinnie Pasquantino to escape the jam.

Cabrera (1-0) got four outs for the victory.

Isbel’s homer, his third, came off right-hander Trevor Richards in the sixth.

Fermin made it 6-5 with a leadoff homer off righty Erik Swanson in the eighth.

Blue Jays rookie Addison Barger got his first major league hit, a leadoff single in the sixth.

“It looked like a giant weight lifted off his shoulders,” Turner said. “He’s been taking great at-bats. He’s been hitting balls hard all over the place and hadn’t been rewarded yet.”

ROSTER MOVES

Kansas City optioned RHP Will Klein to Triple-A to make room for Bowlan.

UP NEXT

RHP José Berríos (4-1, 1.23 ERA) is scheduled to start for the Blue Jays on Tuesday night against Kansas City LHP Cole Ragans (1-2, 3.90).

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., left, dumps water on Blue Jays designated Hitter Justin Turner, right, after they defeated the Kansas City Royals in baseball game action in Toronto, Monday, April 29, 2024. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

Kansas City Royals outfielder Adam Frazier misses a diving catch on a hit by Toronto Blue Jays' George Springer during eighth-inning baseball game action in Toronto, Monday, April 29, 2024. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Blue Jays second baseman Cavan Biggio, right, forces out Kansas City Royals' Maikel Garcia, left, at second but cannot turn a double play during ninth-inning baseball game action in Toronto, Monday, April 29, 2024. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

Kansas City Royals pitcher Tyler Duffey (21) gets pulled by Royals manager Matt Quatraro (33) as Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino (9) looks on while playing against the Toronto Blue Jays during the fifth inning of baseball game in Toronto on Monday, April 29, 2024. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Blue Jays' Addison Barger, right, watches his single as Kansas City Royals catcher Freddy Fermin, center, looks on during sixth -inning baseball game action in Toronto, Monday, April 29, 2024. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Blue Jays' Addison Barger, right, slides past Kansas City Royals catcher Freddy Fermin, left, to score during sixth -inning baseball game action in Toronto, Monday, April 29, 2024. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter Justin Turner, right, celebrates after his solo home run with third base coach Carlos Febles (51) while playing against the Kansas City Royals during third-inning baseball game action in Toronto, Monday, April 29, 2024. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero Jr. watches his RBI double against the Kansas City Royals during sixth-inning baseball game action in Toronto, Monday, April 29, 2024. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

Kansas City Royals second baseman Michael Massey (19) forces out Toronto Blue Jays second baseman Cavan Biggio (8) at second base, then turns the double play over to first base to out Blue Jays shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa during the fifth inning of a baseball game in Toronto on Monday, April 29, 2024. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hits an RBI double against the Kansas City Royals during sixth-inning baseball game action in Toronto, Monday, April 29, 2024. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Blue Jays' Danny Jansen hits a solo home run against the Kansas City Royals during third-inning baseball game action in Toronto, Monday, April 29, 2024. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Blue Jays' Isiah Kiner-Falefa hits a single against the Kansas City Royals during third-inning baseball game action in Toronto, Monday, April 29, 2024. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter Justin Turner, right, celebrates after his solo home run with third base coach Carlos Febles (51) while playing against the Kansas City Royals during third-inning baseball game action in Toronto, Monday, April 29, 2024. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)