Quito, Ecuador – With darkness descending on the Ecuadorian capital of Quito, 26-year-old Brandon Samueza races to send out job applications before 8pm, when the power — and his internet — go out.

Since September 23, government-controlled blackouts have plunged the South American country of 18 million into darkness almost daily. Some outages can last up to 14 hours per day.

The cuts aim to prevent the collapse of the electrical grid, as a months-long drought dries up the rivers that power hydroelectric dams, Ecuador’s primary source of electricity.

Initially introduced as a stopgap measure, the power cuts had been extended into a third consecutive month, throwing the lives of many Ecuadorians into disarray.

But in the face of public outcry and protests in the street, President Daniel Noboa has announced that the blackouts for most Ecuadorians would end, starting on Friday.

Power cuts for industry, however, will continue until the end of the year.

Brandon Samueza, 26, lost his job at a cookware factory amid prolonged power cuts [Christina Noriega/Al Jazeera]
Without power, families have had to dine under the white glow of flashlights. Students struggled to attend online classes, and some chronic-need patients had to go without treatment. Workers like Samueza have even lost their jobs as the outages devastated factories and small businesses.

“I’ve been applying for jobs for the past two months and haven’t even received a call for an interview,” said Samueza. “It’s complicated right now to find work.”

The power cuts are an additional pressure during an already tumultuous time in Ecuador.

In recent years, violent crime rates have ticked up amid a rise in cocaine trafficking. And in 2023, the country weathered political upheaval, as embattled former President Guillermo Lasso dissolved the National Assembly and ended his own term early.

Now, Ecuador’s prolonged drought — its worst in nearly 60 years — and the resulting energy shortages are leaving locals exasperated.

“We were already impacted prior to the blackouts, but what the blackouts did was deteriorate our living conditions even more,” said Marcela Arellano, president of the Ecuadorian Confederation of Free Trade Union Organizations (CEOSL).