In recent years, the construction of wind parks in La Guajira, one of the most important locations for the energy transition in Colombia, has been accompanied by more than 2,000 consultation processes and extensive aid packages to mitigate conflicts. Despite this, there have been social protests, humanitarian crises and numerous conflicts between state authorities, private companies and indigenous Wayuu communities.
In his report, Martin Gubsch reveals a complex tapestry of divergent conceptions of progress, value, and justice that underlie these conflicts. Participatory processes, he argues, which are supposed to mediate between the local population, companies and the state, fail if they ignore the everyday realities of conflict. Instead of relying on simplistic dichotomies between “local” and private companies or even indigenous people and the “rest”, the various local actors should be seriously involved.
The case study illustrates the need for in-depth engagement with affected societies and the impacts of socio-ecological transformation in order to respond to the inevitable conflicts of interest that large-scale projects in the context of the energy transition give rise to.
Martin Gubsch is an Associate Fellow in PRIF’s Research Department Glocal Junctions. His research focuses on climate change, environmental movements and transformations of rural space in Colombia.
The report is available for download (PDF).