Colombia is undergoing a complete energy transition. The South American country aims to move away from coal and gas production, resolutely embracing renewable energy sources—primarily wind energy. However, this transition is not without its challenges. Investors are planning the construction of dozens of ‘wind farms’ on the La Guajira peninsula, which will become operational in the coming months and years. La Guajira, with its constant wind, appears to be the ideal location for this endeavor.
The area is home to approximately 400,000 indigenous Wayuu people, who generally have mixed feelings about these plans. Their department is the poorest in Colombia—La Guajira has been neglected for decades by successive governments. The Colombian government and energy companies themselves believe that the Wayuu should seize this opportunity to join the modernization process. They see the arrival of energy companies as the perfect lever for development.
“Let’s use the wind as a lever to develop La Guajira.” - Diego Patrón, CEO of energy company Jemeiwaa Ka’I
‘A Wind of Change’ reveals how energy companies exploit the poverty in the department. They pit indigenous families against each other with promises of money and material benefits, which often sow the seeds of interpersonal, and sometimes violent, conflicts.
“We are suffering because of the companies.” Norbelis Suarez, indigenous leader of the Girnu clan
We visit La Guajira’s first wind farm, launched as a pioneering project twenty years ago by the Colombian company EPM. The company itself acknowledges that their presence has caused tensions in nearby Wayuu villages.
According to the company, this tension is due to the Wayuu society, which is organized into clans. All these clans are said to compete with each other for the most material benefit.
This viewpoint is not entirely baseless: some clans welcome the deep-pocketed companies. Nevertheless, many Wayuu feel they are being robbed in their own home. As wind gains economic value, they fear their unique culture is threatened.
We hear from various peninsula residents and consult with business leaders, local authorities, human rights activists, and an anthropologist. Each is involved in their way in the new wind blowing through La Guajira.
To capture their story visually, we traverse the enchanting La Guajira, accompanied by the ever-present wind, where ancient myths and legends of the Wayuu are almost tangible.
