AQ Documentary: The Relocation of the Rio Rancheria in La Guajira, Colombia

Comment on this post

In one of the poorest provinces of Colombia, La Guajira, lies one of the country’s most active and more progressive coal mining companies, Cerrejón. In the early 2000s, Cerrejón estimated that 500 million tons of coal were lying under the Río Rancheria, a river bed in the region. Getting it out, though, would require moving an entire river 16 miles (26 kilometers), affecting the Wayúu Indigenous community that lives alongside it and for whom the river is its lifeblood.  

This AQ documentary explores this controversial project from the perspectives of various members of the Indigenous Wayúu community and Cerrejón officials, raising questions about the consulta previa process, the environment, royalties, and the role of the government. Filming took place in September 2012, with this project made possible through support from the Ford Foundation.

Watch the video here (en Español)