Spain gradually returns to normal after Monday’s blackout, which left the entire country (except the Canary Islands and Balearic Islands) without electricity supply for 12 hours, until night, for reasons still unknown. Pedro Sánchez has explained that the light cut occurred when, at 12.33 noon, 15 gigawatts were suddenly lost, equivalent to 60% of energy demand at that time. ” The causes of the blackout are unknown, but Sánchez does not rule out any hypotheses, nor the possibility of a cyber attack.
In 2021, Austria’s Ministry of Defense warned that an energy blackout could affect Europe “in the next five years.” Monday’s light also extended to other countries such as Portugal or France, although it has not been confirmed that this fall in the electricity supply is directly related to such warning.
The blackout caused incidents mainly in rail transport, and the stoppage of services forced the evacuation of thousands of people. Singers like Leire Martínez or Ana Gueran were stranded on the train tracks yesterday. Viggo Mortensen was evicted from Sants station in Barcelona. Gisela the blackout caught him rehearsing in ‘Your face sounds to me’.
To a lesser extent, the Blackout affected air transport with cancellations of hundreds of flights. On land, it caused damage to establishments such as bakeries, ice cream shops or pastry premises. And, in the most distressing cases, some people were trapped in elevators for hours. Hospitals and residences continued their activity thanks to structure and generators. Obviously they did not work Wi-Fi or data: telephone communication with family and friends during Monday was impossible.
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The radio was the main means of communication throughout Monday, for lucky people who had a transistor in their homes. As described by the journalist Paloma Rando in her stories: «23F was the night of the transistors. Yesterday was the day ». In social networks several people presumed to have spent the blackout day listening to the news on the radio, such as presenter Jordi Cruz, who said: “The best company during today.” In other words of an Instagram user, “the national radio of Spain never goes out.” Many neighbors gathered on the street around transistors or cars with radio to listen to the news. Producer Miqui Brightside shared his radio with his neighbors, and lived “the most important day of my life.”
Not everyone lived the blackout in the same way. Some allowed them to take the day off and go out to keep friends or make community with their neighbors. Samantha Hudson celebrated in Malasaña, a neighborhood in which the guitarist of Alcalá Norte was proclaimed “King” when appearing with a lamp on a balcony. Rozalén celebrates that he could join his street neighbors to “drink beer and eat patatuelas.” Arrival at night, many – among them Aitana – turned candles, read and played board games. Less luck had those who were traveling at the time of light cut. Alizzz, for example, uploaded a video of him stranded in a sports center. Movistar Arena offered its facilities for people who needed a place where to spend the night. Hundreds of people slept at the airport.
The return of the light inspired many to share songs that “alluded” indirectly to the situation such as ‘El Badgon’ by Bad Bunny, ‘El Brugón’ by Malú or ‘Broad’ of Estopa. The imminent new single from Melody has not arrived on time, which is coincidentally titled ‘El Blagón’ and leaves in May. Others wonder today what the hell will happen with the premiere of ‘The family of TV’, which has already gone through two cancellations, first for the death of the Pope, and now by the national blackout. Will the third be the defeated? Above all, this unprecedented situation has led many to reflect on our electricity dependence. As someone suggested by sharing a song of Amaral, we could tell him in light: ‘Without you I am nothing’.
