How paramilitaries laid the foundation for Colombia's largest hydroelectric dam

[Judi Lynn]

(Image: EPM)

by Mariana Calvo March 2, 2020

Colombia’s largest hydroelectric dam, HidroItuango, has made international headlines — and for all the wrong reasons.

From its inception, the $4.5 billion-dollar dam built near Ituango, Antioquia, on the Cauca River by Medellin public utilities company EPM, was built with high expectations and even greater ambitions.

Set to supply 17% of Colombia’s energy needs, powerful politicians and businessmen branded Hidroituango as a direct solution to the country’s long struggle with high energy costs and prevalent energy shortages.

Beyond energy, Hidroituango was promoted by elites and members of the Colombian establishment, most notably former President Alvaro Uribe as a symbol of a new era of peace and prosperity in a country that has never known it.

More:
https://colombiareports.com/how-paramilitaries-laid-the-foundation-for-colombias-largest-hydroelectric-dam/