South America Blackout: Argentina, Paraguay And Uruguay Hit By Power Outage

Over 44 million people were without power across South America on Sunday, with Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay being primarily affected by a widespread power outage.

Buenos Aires-based electricity company Edesur told CNN affiliate TN that the outage is the "first generalized blackout that Argentina had in its history." Argentinian President Mauricio Macri also called the outages "unprecendented."

Edesur said that the cause of the outages is still under investigation.

"The city is a disaster. There are no traffic lights. Stores aren't open. It spoiled Father's Day," a 75-year-old retired man in Buenos Aires told Reuters.

Macri said that only about half of Argentina's population affected by the blackout had their power back by the afternoon. Edesur said it would likely take the rest of the day to return electricity to the rest of its customers.

"This is the biggest blackout in history, I don't remember anything like this in Uruguay," Valentina Gimenez, who lives in Uruguay's capital Montevideo told the Associated Press.

The Uruguayan energy company UTE said that a "flaw in the Argentine network" was the reason behind the outages. The company also said that it has restored power to most of those affected.

The blackout comes as the average Argentine faces inflation, high-interest rates and a deteriorating quality of life. In October, the country will have presidential elections.

In regards to electricity, Argentinian president Macri has reduced utility subsidies to cut the government's expenses as a part of austerity measures.

"Millions of Argentines, who have had to pay astronomical rates for electricity to benefit those in power, are still waiting for power to return to their homes," Alberto Fernandez, a Presidential candidate who hopes to unseat Macri, tweeted.

Macri, a proponent of free markets, is the only president in Argentina's modern history to not follow Peronism, a populist ideology that combines both left and right wing policies that are named after former Argentinian President Juan Peron and his wife, Eva. Alberto Fernandez hopes to return the country to the Peronist tradition.