La Guajira: Natural wealth vs exploitation

As a Guajira woman, feminist and social researcher, I want to share some personal reflections from the vision of female leadership as caretakers of the land and the fight against different forms of colonization and exploitation present in La Guajira. As a starting point, I believe in the urgent need for a Great Pact La Guajira, to undertake effective interventions for development that respect the rich and fertile land.

In order to achieve this, it will be necessary to change those who live “comfortably” with corruption and when once and for all we have leaders, politicians, academics and citizen movements, among others, committed to respecting the rights of the Guajira woman. It is worth remembering that of the 32 departments in Colombia La Guajira is the only one with a feminine name, we also have one of the largest Indigenous communities on the planet – the Wayúu – which is a matriarchal society.

Exploitation vs development

The companies that have made and still cause impacts to human rights in La Guajira department, arrive with a narrative of contributing – “development” – from a western capitalist vision (not an indigenous or African one). These companies argue that their programmes are the “solution” to the complex problems of the territory. The promises are translated into donations, royalties, social assistance programmes, permanent handouts of food, water or money, which are presented in the media as genuine processes of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). However, in reality these are isolated cases far from reality.

As such, the relationship between human rights, CSR and Indigenous peoples does not produce the best outcomes for La Guajira and the worldview of its peoples; given that beyond satisfying basic needs (hunger, thirst and extreme poverty in general) these CSR practices agitate internal conflicts in communities; lead to exclusive free and prior consultation processes, the monetization of processes and therefore a hybridization of cultural principles in exchange for material gains, for which, inevitably, the sacred territories are also altered and the negative environmental impacts caused by activities such as open-pit mining or energy exploration are made silent.

Female leadership in La Guajira

In this sense, it is important to mention that for the specific case of Wayúu women, their actions from the perspective and relationship of ‘body – territory’ are fundamental for the preservation of culture and the defence of human rights. Due to this, grassroots organizations have emerged that offer critical reflections regarding the presence of companies and multinationals and their negative impacts in La Guajira territory.

At the same time referring to the matrilineal role does not imply that there is no machismo, in the Wayúu culture women develop leadership roles but must also assume other duties to fulfill certain demands that come from machismo attitudes resulting in female oppression (such as having to behave in a manner so as not to be judged as libertine, take care of the home and adhere to the guidance of masculine authority in the family or the community). At the same time, and perhaps paradoxically this does not mean that Wayúu women are powerless, due to their matrilineal role they exercise voice and participation in the community, in contrast to Indigenous women from other ethnic groups.

It is pertinent to affirm that the new generations of Wayùu women are perceived as fundamental not only to procreate and maintain the lineage, but from various roles where they can freely create and develop academic, political, social or cultural leadership. Their active participation in different systems can work towards changing discriminatory attitudes and a machismo culture.

For this reason, the recognition and guarantees for the effective enjoyment of the rights of women leaders and human rights defenders are an obligation and commitment of the Colombian State. Its materialization has been developed through the design and implementation of public policies, programmes and strategies, which have been the result of exchanges and joint work between women’s organizations and institutions. The “comprehensive protection for the guarantee of women” programme led by the Ministry of Interior with the participation of different state entities, which has been developing since 2009, in order to arrange the necessary guarantees to the work of defending human rights and eradication of any form of stigmatization against women leaders and defenders is a noteworthy example .

In conclusion, the companies that currently operate in La Guajira to exploit its natural resources must prioritize relations with the women leaders in the territory, they should understand that women have the mission of caring for the environment and contributing to the stability of the environment and therefore, visions of development (alijuna, white or capitalist) must be reconciled with the Indigenous worldview of development, which starts from caring for the environment, protecting culture, respecting ancestral principles and guaranteeing well-being within the lands. Development endeavours should instead seek to avoid generating conflicts that, in the end as we see today and over the past several decades, have a negative impact on the sustainability of ethnic groups, because they banish traditions, the language and compete for power, renouncing the natural common good in Indigenous communities.

Fabrina Acosta-Contreras is a psychologist, writer, social researcher, Master in Gender Studies, Master in Organizational Management, specialist in Senior Management, Author of 5 books and creator of the guajira and feminist association – Evas&Adanes. 13 years of experience in the public sector on social, cultural, ethnic and gender issues. Recognized among the 10 outstanding young people in Colombia – 2018 by the JCI – TOYP Award for her work based on the claim of women’s and children’s Human Rights, co-author of training booklets and women’s schools on issues of political participation, economic autonomy and formation of the SELF. Permanent columnist in different media for more than 10 years. Email: Fabrina.acostac@gmail.com personal website: www.evasyadanes.com

For more research on related topics, please read these articles from Business and Human Rights Journal:

Overcoming Silencing Practices: Indigenous Women Defending Human Rights from Abuses Committed in Connection to Mega-Projects: A Case in Colombia

Informal Mining in Colombia: Gender-Based Challenges for the Implementation of the Business and Human Rights Agenda