Reliable, affordable and modern electricity is a cornerstone of human development. In Latin America, national governments report high rates of electricity access. However, providing reliable, affordable and modern electricity service is still a major challenge, specifically in rural areas. Inadequate electricity service exacerbates existing injustices by hindering access to basic services such as water, health and education. To address the disparity between official numbers and electricity access realities in rural areas, this dissertation investigates the nuances of electricity access conditions, which are not reflected in current official indicators by using an energy justice theoretical framework. The overarching objective of this dissertation is to advance the understanding of the shortcomings of electricity access in rural Latin America. This work uses a multi-scale analytical structure to examine the issue of inadequate electricity access in rural Latin America, from a broad global and regional scale to a community-based approach. The analysis is threefold. The first chapter examines the influence of multidimensional variables on access to electricity in rural areas. The second chapter investigates the role of indicators for electricity access in energy injustice in Latin America. The third chapter is a case study of a community-based approach to electricity access, and analyzes the major electricity barriers for rural communities that are invisible for the current indicator for electricity access. The main conclusions of this research are: (1) Electricity consumption per capita is a criteria that shows a negative correlation with electricity access rates in rural areas of Latin America. The official high rates of electricity access in Latin America suggest that the electricity consumption per capita is low. (2) To improve the living conditions of people with inadequate electricity service, indicators for electricity access need to provide a more accurate assessment. Differentiating electricity access needs between urban and rural areas could help us understand electricity access challenges. (3) High electricity bills and continuous power outages are barriers to have a better electricity service in rural Latin America. These electricity condition barriers could explain the relationship between electricity access rates in rural areas and electricity consumption per capita in Latin America. These findings demonstrate first how poor electricity conditions can be rendered invisible by current electricity access indicators. Second, how a community-based perspective can deepen the comprehension of electricity access conditions and eventually advance the Latin American energy justice agenda. Ultimately, improve the electricity services is one step towards overcoming historical injustices in rural areas.