A massive blackout left tens of millions of people without electricity in Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and parts of Chile and southern Brazil on Sunday. The Argentine president called it an “unprecedented” failure in the countries' interconnected power grid.
Argentina's Energy Secretary Gustavo Lopetegui described the massive blackout suffered mostly by Argentina and Uruguay, but which also affected areas of neighbouring countries, Paraguay, Chile and Brazil as “an extraordinary event that should have never happened, there are no reasons for it occurring and leaving Argentina completely in the black”.
Argentine president Cristina Fernandez arrived Tuesday evening to Paraguay to begin early Wednesday an official visit which has been delayed several times. Besides the usual agenda discussions and accords signing with her peer Horacio Cartes, the visit will also have a strong symbolism since the Argentine president will be formally returning to Paraguay furniture and other belongings from one of the country's most revered leaders, Francisco Solano Lopez.
The presidency of the Paraguayan delegation at the Mercosur Parliament, Parlasur called on Argentina to improve the ‘reduced’ price it currently pays for surplus power from the shared hydroelectric dam of Yacyretá.
The sale of power from landlocked Paraguay to Uruguay continues to be delayed because Argentina has come up with more demands before it allows transmission through its grid, according to Paraguayan officials.
Work at the hydro-electric complex Yacyreta will finalise at the end of next month, when the dam reaches 83 metres above sea level, as stipulated in its original design, executive director of the Bi-national Entity Yacyreta (EBY) Oscar Thomas informed