There are several announcements made by the President of the Republic, Gustavo Petro, after his arrival in the department of La Guajira since last Monday, June 26. Together with his ministers, the president has met with members of the Wayuu indigenous community, social leaders, students, and regional governments, among others who have participated in each of his events.
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This Wednesday, The national government signed the Pact for the Just Energy Transition in Riohacha, which consists of an alternative to face climate change and advance in the process of decarbonization of the global economy to be replaced by green and environmentally friendly energies.
“This pact that we are embracing today seeks to resolve a disastrous paradox that has left La Guajira with four decades of social and environmental damage. La Guajira saw coal and gas pass by and unfortunately only accumulated poverty. In La Guajira, we have the highest rate of unsatisfied basic needs in the country, which means that the challenges we face are enormous and that the energy potential has to help us. There is a moral responsibility for it to be so and that is an opportunity”, said Minister Irene Vélez during her speech.
At the same time, he celebrated that 100% of the prior consultations by the Ministry of the Interior for the construction of the Colectora transmission network, which seeks to take advantage of the wind and solar potential of the department of La Guajira and the Caribbean region, have been protocolized. .
“100% of the free prior consultations reported in the Colectora project have been protocolized. With the Collector line we will be able to make a fair energy transition because we know that the transport of energy is essential to remove what is generated in the parks, but, In addition, we are saying that at this moment there are 25 generation projects in the Guajiro territory that, if materialized, would produce 2.5 gigawatts of energy. and with that we are giving a much greater weight to conventional non-renewable sources in our electrical matrix and we are going to help reduce rates if we manage to produce cheaper energy”, added the minister.
With the signing of the pact, the aim is to advance in the decarbonization process and bet on green energies. PHOTO: COURTESY.
WAYUU INDIGENOUS UNIVERSITY
In terms of education, Minister Aurora Vergara Figueroa announced that the national government is advancing in the implementation of the opening process of the Wayuu Indigenous University in that territory. The announcement was made within the framework of the Genuine Dialogue that took place in the township of Nazareth.
“We began the process of opening the Wayuu Indigenous University, which will enable us to open the faculties of clean energy, the faculties that have to do with health and tourism”said Minister Vergara.
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For his part, President Gustavo Petro pointed out that this is the answer to solve the needs of the Guajira population and the lack of opportunities in terms of education.
“The training of youth in issues that have to do with clean energy, solar, etc. and open, not only the training to know what it consists of, but to open an engineering –which I believe is the first in Colombia– because we have petroleum engineering; this would not be SENA, this would also be higher education. SENA would have to work on some issues such as maintenance or putting up the panels”Petro said.
On the other hand, the national government promised to build 12 classrooms to increase the supply of preschool, basic and secondary education in Nazareth. ANDThe event also delivered 3,300 computers and 51 educational innovation laboratories within the framework of the ‘Government with the People’ strategy that seeks to benefit 47 thousand students from 117 schools in La Guajira.
“We’re earmarking $5.4 billion for these devices that will change the way our kids learn and enjoy technology.”said Minister Lizcano during the event held at the Julia Sierra Iguarán Ethno-educational Institution in the municipality of Uribia.
ZERO HUNGER ALLIANCE
At the meeting ‘Agriculture unites to achieve Zero Hunger’, The Ministry of La Guajira and allied entities signed the Zero Hunger alliance in La Guajira, with which they seek to coordinate and specify actions in favor of the right to food for the benefit of 150 communities of the municipalities of Albania, Ravines, Dibulla, Fonseca, Hatonuevo, Manaure, Riohacha, Uribia and Maicao.
From this last municipality, the Minister of Agriculture, Jhenifer Mojica, pointed out that the Rural Development Agency (ADR), the Colombian Agricultural Institute (ICA), the National Aquaculture and Fisheries Authority (Aunap), the Colombian Company of Veterinary Products ( Vecol) and Agrosavia, will work with the communities to carry out activities of technical support, agricultural extension, training and knowledge transfer for the strengthening of the agricultural and aquaculture and fishing production of the communities, leaving aside that each sector “work by your side”.
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One of the projects to achieve agricultural development will be carried out in Maicao, benefiting 68 producers of squash, beans and sheep for a total value of $1,607 million.
Likewise, the ICA will carry out strengthening activities on diseases in sheep and goats, will support the registration of livestock farms in sheep and goat production and vaccination against Venezuelan equine encephalitis disease, sampling against tuberculosis, brucellosis and parasitic diagnoses in bovines, sheep and goats, in municipalities such as San Juan del Cesar, Dibulla, El Molino and Villanueva.
On the other hand, The government presented the Senaharina, a food product made from beans, corn, green plantains, ahuyama and trupillo, to reduce malnutrition in the Guajira child population and that would replace the Bienestarina.
WATER FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION
President Petro also said that it will issue several decrees for the priority use of water for human consumption rather than for crop irrigation. or the refrigeration of thermoelectric plants, in order to improve the living conditions of the Wayuu population and the inhabitants of La Guajira.
According to the president, in this department “there is more demand for water than is supplied”. Likewise, he assured that the greatest potential of the water resource is used first to irrigate palm crops; secondly, to cool thermoelectric plants and lastly, for human consumption, pointing out that it is an “injustice to the people.”
“That is what the decrees that my Government will issue to reverse this situation are about: consumption is, first, for human beings. As a Wayuu community, I propose that you undertake projects, such as the implementation of solar panels. One hectare of solar panels generates a profit of 500 million pesos per year. As a government we could buy them and you take care of the maintenance”said Gustavo Petro.
During this week, the president and his work team will continue touring the department of La Guajira in order to listen to the problems of the population and provide timely solutions.