Blog 10 - Foreign Wind Farms in Mexican Villages

The Isthmus of Tehuantepec in Oaxaca, Mexico is a narrow region in the south of the country that is considered one of the windiest places in the world. It is attracting investors from all over the world including Europe, Japan, and Australia.  These foreign energy firms want to build wind turbines on this land but there is controversy over their creating because some of these projects are angering indigenous villages.   Some of these indigenous groups have blocked the routes to two of the projects in Oaxaca, one of which would have been the largest wind farm in Latin America, because they are afraid of how it will affect fishing and farming and their way of life as a whole. The Ikoot and Zapeotco populations specifically have resulted to violent protests in order to keep the projects off their land.

            According to Carlos Beas Torres, head of the Union of Northern Zone Isthmus Communities these projects “have upended the life of villagers in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec by interfering with their daily work.”  He went on to say that “women and men have been pitted against each other, because the Mexican and multinational companies that have invested here have taken advantage of lack of information among natives” to lease their land for very small amounts.

            While there was a community assembly to discuss the projects Beas Torres says that many of the residents were manipulated.  Leaders of these projects insist that they will not harm fishing or the environment in any way and will even plant new trees along the way. 

            Since Oaxaca is surrounded by both the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico it has a lot of potential to create wind energy.  According to Mexican Wind Energy Association it had just 2 megawatts capacity in 2006 and now it has grown to 1,400 megawatts and has a goal of reaching 12,000 megawatts by 2020.  This number would represent 15% of the nation’s energy.  There are currently 18 wind farms in operation in Mexico, another 9 under construction, and a dozen more in development.  These projects are a priority for president Filipe Calderon who has been stressing the importance in an effort to combat climate change.

This article shows that the push for renewable energy is trumping cultural traditions in some areas and the need for cheaper sources of energy seem to outweigh the fact that there just isn’t necessarily enough land to use. The article represents another side to things in discussion that while some areas strive to be energy efficient some sources may not be the best choice.  There are several factors that can affect that decision.  I would like for the article to have had more information on the specific effects of these wind farms will have on the well-being of the indigenous people of Oaxaca and if there will be any agreement drawn up between them. 

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/04/06/foreign-wind-farms-cause-uproar-in-mexican-villages/