A Wind Of Change

Por. Arne Gillis

Colombia is facing a total energy transition. The South American country wants to get rid of its coal and gas production and is resolutely turning to renewable energy sources – primarily wind energy. This is not without controversy. On the La Guajira peninsula, investors are planning the construction of dozens of wind farms that will become operational in the coming months and years. Some 400,000 indigenous Wayuu live in the area, and they are generally not as excited about the plans. Their department is the poorest in Colombia – La Guajira has been neglected for decades by successive governments. The Colombian government and the energy companies themselves believe that the Wayuu should seize this opportunity to step into modernisation. This documentary shows how energy companies are cleverly exploiting poverty in the department. They turn indigenous families against each other with promises of money and material benefits. These promises sow the seeds of mutual, often violent conflicts.