Forced displacement caused by corporations in La Guajira, Colombia

Abstract

This article seeks to show how throughout history businesses have been responsible for human rights violations and the forced displacement of communities in La Guajira, in northern Colombia. This region has long been characterized as one of the poorest and most unequal in the country. In order to do this, this article will first examine the coal industry by analyzing the case of the Cerrejón mine in Colombia, and will then explore how, today, the construction of wind and solar farms in this area, aimed at providing cleaner energy for a just transition, is also causing forced displacement and human rights violations. For this article, the methodology of legal dogmatics will be used through a review of academic sources, institutional reports, judicial decisions, and documents from international organizations.