These wind farms there have been largely constructed and run by foreign transnational corporations. Residents say that while on the surface these wind turbines are generating clean energy, the transnational wind companies have disrespected communal land rights, stiffed residents money owed for renting their land, and refused to benefit the local community with discounted or…
Written by
Michael Fox
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Originally Published in
These wind farms there have been largely constructed and run by foreign transnational corporations. Residents say that while on the surface these wind turbines are generating clean energy, the transnational wind companies have disrespected communal land rights, stiffed residents money owed for renting their land, and refused to benefit the local community with discounted or subsidized utility rates. The Zapotec Indigenous town of Juchitán is in the heart of the wind industry here… Residents say the wind turbines are often leaking oil and could be contaminating groundwater… Farmer Celestino says he’s also losing his hearing, because of the constant hum from the turbines… Opponents of the wind farms have faced serious intimidation. Human rights lawyers say death threats are common…. “The population has handed over more than 74,000 acres of land to these transnational companies. And they have dismantled the local economy, unleashing a whole chain of conflicts, because of the lack of work.”
