On January 20, 2024, the government of President Gustavo Petro made an announcement that filled the indigenous communities of La Guajira with hope: the arrival of drinking water through 40 tanker trucks, managed by the National Disaster Risk Management Unit (UNGRD). However, that promise, which at first seemed like a lifeline, has become a symbol of disillusionment and corruption.
The plan, which was presented with great fanfare, was seen as a crucial step in easing the water crisis in one of Colombia’s driest and most impoverished regions. Traditionally vulnerable, Wayúu communities had been anxiously awaiting the arrival of the water trucks, as drinking water was scarce and contaminated wells were their only source. But as the months passed, hope faded.
In February, the problems began. The tankers would not start, paperwork and policies were tangled up in bureaucratic procedures, and communities were still waiting under the scorching sun. To calm the critics, UNGRD produced videos that supposedly showed some vehicles delivering water. However, the effort was insufficient and soon there were complaints that many of these tankers never reached their destination.
The crisis erupted in May, when the scandal over cost overruns and accusations of corruption put the UNGRD under scrutiny. Officials were singled out and investigations multiplied. By then, it was already clear that the promise of water had vanished.
Today, in September, nine months after the announcement, the tankers sit, abandoned and rusted, in two Army battalions in Uribia and Riohacha. Broken glass and ruined tires are a bitter reminder of inaction. “Since they brought those trucks, I have never seen one delivering water,” said a resident of La Guajira in a live report by Noticias Caracol.
Wayúu communities continue to quench their thirst in contaminated wells, while the vehicles intended to alleviate their suffering are falling apart. “These tanker trucks cannot become a symbol of corruption, not an indigenous reservation,” declared José Silva Duarte, director of the NGO Nación Wayú. Social leaders, such as Eudes Romero, demand explanations from President Petro and the judicial authorities. “What is happening with this issue? We want to know who is responsible for this massive and fatal theft of indigenous Wayúu children,” he said indignantly.
The case of the UNGRD tankers is a clear example of a failed promise, one that continues to affect those who most need urgent solutions. As long as justice does not advance and water does not arrive, the communities of La Guajira will continue to survive on dirty wells and broken hopes.
2024-09-23 21:58:25