Enosa: Spanish for Enron

June 13th, 2007 La Encantada, Peru

Enosa: Spanish for Enron

So the energy bills came two days ago, and mysteriously everyone’s bill had doubled or tripled. After a short analysis, I noticed that Enosa (the electric company) had doubled the rate charged per kilowatt hour. I also noticed that nearly everyone had consumed between 1.5 to double the amount of power they normally consumed in a month. Needless to say, people were outraged.
I walked by the Local Communal on my way to the Local Artesenal to do some work on the computer. It was bustling with angry people. I wandered in to see what all the commotion was about. The Town Leader was sitting at a table with someone from the nearby municipality. Everyone was trying to convince everyone else that their bill was more of an outrage than their fellow mans although, the bills were almost uniformly double across the board. Now I’m thinking there must be some kind of mistake and that perhaps someone should contact Enosa and see what the deal is. The Town Leader is having everyone leave their John Hancock and DNI number in order to state a reclaim. People are getting chaotic though. Some are talking about strapping the next energy technician to the top of the lamppost. When I asked "dead or alive?" they calmly replied, "Alive! Were not that cruel." That is when I realized they were serious.
I curiously inquired to the Town Leader, "What did Enosa say when you talked to them?"
"Oh we haven’t talked to them."
"Well, don’t you think all this could be a simple error and that maybe we should talk to them?"
"Well, I called them once this morning and the manager was in a meeting."
Ok, sweet. Back to the witch hunt. I am starting to get scared that I might be considered part of the bourgeois and decide to get the heck away from here before I am burned at the stake. I sit down at the computer to do some work when an elderly woman comes in asking for a copy. I smile while I copy her DNI and last 6 months receipts from Enosa. Minutes later my smile turns to a frown as a line develops behind me. It’s over 50 people long. The glorious Town Leader is having everyone copy the former.
Although I have had people form a peaceful line, every time I turn around for the next persons receipts, the line extends about 6 wide and everyone shoves their items in my face. I am thinking of announcing to the group the next person who sticks something in my face is going to get a rude awakening. I am using the paper cutter when a woman sticks her hand across to get her DNI, "Señora, if you like your stubby little fingers I wouldn’t recommend doing that again."
Now, this is no industrial copier but rather a 3-in-1 designed for personal use. It’s overheating and stops working. "Señor, can’t you fix it." Well, it’s kind of like a car, when it overheats you have just leave it for a few minutes. Wait, what I am thinking. People start asking me questions that could only be answered by the power company. Sorry folks, I know the owners of Enosa are probably a bunch of WASPs who have been oppressing you for years, but I don’t actually work for the power company.
After the whole ordeal is over, I realized only 2 out of 50 people even said thank you.