For the second time this year the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) cut electricity service to the Acapulco water and sewer system, a move described by the water utility as “terrorism.”

The electricity was cut off yesterday leaving 600,000 residents without water, according to the municipal water utility, known as Capama.

Officials said cutting off the electricity was a measure intended to put pressure on the agency to pay money it owes but finance director Raúl Isidro Juárez Ponce said the agency had been making daily payments.

Capama chief Leonel Galindo González called the cuts “terrorism” and said the CFE had not considered the basic needs of residents and tourists.

“They cut our lights yesterday without prior notice, when that same day we had already deposited 800,000 pesos, and today we deposited 146,000 pesos. That shows that we’re trying to pay.”

Galindo said that in October the agency’s debt with the CFE soared to 70 million pesos (US $3.5 million), an amount it cannot pay because of what he called illegal and corrupt spending by the previous administration.

He called on the CFE to restore electricity service as soon as possible in order to reestablish water and sewer service and minimize the impact on the public.

The electricity cut follows a previous attempt in January to put pressure on the agency to pay its debt to the CFE.

Source: Milenio (sp), El Heraldo (sp)