‘I’m switched off’: frustration and fatigue as power cuts keep Ecuador in the dark

In Quito, with their flat in darkness, Anamary Mazorra Vázquez’s husband sits by the bedroom window to take advantage of the street light to feed their son. Photograph: Kimberley Brown

It’s 6.30pm in Quito, and Anamary Mazorra Vázquez’s flat has fallen into darkness after weeks of government-mandated power cuts to manage Ecuador’s electricity crisis. She puts clothes away by the light of her phone while her husband, Roberto Vaca, seated on the bed by the window, uses the streetlights to help feed their two-year-old son, who has special needs.

With a newborn and two toddlers to care for, Vázquez’s life has been turned upside down by the blackouts, she says. These past weeks have been particularly challenging, with power cuts from 4am to 11am, then again from 3pm to 10pm, leaving her with only four hours of electricity during the day.