‘La Guajira is the future of energy. Not just for Colombia but for the world.’
Juan Carlos, local union leader.
Once the centre of coal mining in Colombia, La Guajira now finds itself at the heart of Colombia’s climate goals, which are some of the most ambitious in the world. But what does this mean for the people who live here?
I am a documentary filmmaker currently producing a documentary following communities in the north of Colombia caught up in the country’s transition from coal to wind and solar energy.
Our film is a portrait of three people living through this change in La Guajira and Cesar; a trade union organiser, a young Indigenous Wayuu leader, and a single mother who has set up a chocolate cooperative in a former coal town. They are all united by their fight to ensure their communities and homes are not left behind as the world makes a dash for green.
For all that governments and companies talk about a ‘Just Transition’, very few outside of these policy bubbles know what it really means and what it looks and feels like for the people whose lives are being transformed. This film will tell their story.
La Guajira is a region rich in resources, but it has long been neglected. Today it’s at the centre of a transformation that involves us all. Coal mines are being closed and replaced by solar and wind, as the world shifts away from fossil fuels. This film is a portrait of communities fighting to secure their place in an uncertain future, as Colombia rushes to go green.
We feel this film is more important now than ever. At the COP28 climate talks in 2023, countries finally agreed that we must leave behind fossil fuels and accelerate the transition to clean energy. The election of Trump and other climate sceptic governments across the world has shown the risks of communities not feeling like they have a stake in climate plans. Millions of families, workers, and communities depend on jobs that come from oil, coal, and gas. They need a fair transition as we move to a greener future. So too do the communities who live in the areas where wind and solar projects will be built. They cannot be dismissed in the rush to go green.
The aim of this documentary is to break down the barriers between the environmental, human rights, sustainable development and labour rights movements, both in Colombia and around the world. By offering the human story behind these movements, this film can be used by those working—both locally and internationally—to demand for a just, inclusive transition to net zero that does not leave workers or communities behind, as has been done so often in the past. Colombia’s experience of the energy transition offers both a warning from the past and a way forward for the future.
The combination of leadership from trade unions, the local indigenous Wayuu community and the government could provide a new model of how to deliver a just and inclusive transition that puts communities and the environment first. Together with our collaborators we would like to develop an impact plan that can aim to engage audiences and deliver clear impact goals, like reaching international decision-makers and local screenings and discussions.
The first phase of the film, including the filming in Colombia, was produced with the generous support of Dutch human rights organisation CNV International. We are currently fundraising for £2,000 to help us continue editing the film whilst we search for bigger funding pots to complete the post-production and impact campaign.
We would be really grateful if you would consider donating or would pass this onto anyone who might be interested in the topic. Please email me at: elianalafone@gmail.com for more information. Thank you for your support!
Please find more information about the film here.
Eliana Lafone is the co-director of LAB’s Environmental Defenders series film ‘The Future is in Our Territories‘
