In Chocó, river defenders say race for energy transition threatens lifelines

“People bathe in the river, they eat from the river — they live, dance and sing there,” says Dora Agudelo Vazquez. “Their whole lives are bound to the river.” Agudelo Vazquez, one of the guardians of the Atrato River, is sitting on a park bench in the main square of her hometown of El Carmen de Atrato, in Colombia’s northwestern Chocó department. “In these 30 years of mining, the river has suffered a lot,” she says. By night, this square is full of life. Beneath the stone façade of the central church, vendors sell hot food from densely packed marquees, many of which display the words “Minera El Roble —  Estamos Contigo” (“We Are With You”). Children jump between small groups of heavy-booted workers who gather around the food stalls.  Their overalls carry the same logo: Minera El Roble. El