In response to the Green Investment Forum organized by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) in March 2025 in Chile, communities, social organizations, and collectives from the global south are calling for the Counter Forum on Green Investments in Latin America and the Caribbean, a virtual space for denouncing and articulating the advance of energy neocolonialism . The event, scheduled for April 23 and 24, 2025, starting at 6:00 p.m. (ARG) —in the framework of International Earth Day—seeks to confront the narrative of a "sustainable" energy transition driven by governments, transnational corporations, and international organizations, which prioritizes megaprojects such as green hydrogen and ammonia, while ignoring the rights of peoples and the protection of fragile ecosystems.
The Counter Forum emerged as a collective action to highlight the socio-environmental consequences of these investments, labeled as "green" but linked to dynamics of territorial dispossession. Its objectives include the exchange of experiences among affected communities, the construction of regional alliances, and public advocacy to challenge a model that reproduces inequalities under the guise of sustainability. It also aims to explore mechanisms for solidarity financing and strategies of resistance to legal frameworks that favor the installation of mega-energy industries without prior consultation with local populations.
The event will be held virtually via Zoom, with two-and-a-half-hour sessions each day . The methodology prioritizes horizontal and territorialized dialogue, where organizations from countries such as Chile, Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina will present specific cases: from the impacts of wind farms in Mayan territories to the threat of green hydrogen in Patagonia . Each day will include three thematic blocks. The first will address threats and resistance, with testimonies from communities facing energy projects. The second will analyze the technical and legal background that facilitates these megaprojects, while the third will share experiences of collective action, such as legal strategies, mobilizations, and community energy management alternatives.
The first day, under the theme Denouncing Energy Neocolonialism, will begin with an opening ritual led by Indigenous peoples, followed by video testimonies from affected territories . Presentations will include, for example, the case of Magallanes, where Chilean communities denounce pressure from foreign consortiums to install green hydrogen plants in Patagonian ecosystems, or the Mayan resistance in Yucatán against wind farms that fragment their territory. The second day, focused on Articulating Hope, will delve into international legal tools, such as the Escazú Agreement, and local energy autonomy initiatives.
As a result of the meeting, a collaborative Political Manifesto will be developed that synthesizes the participants' demands and proposals . This document will seek to influence media and political agendas, dismantling the corporate narrative of the "green transition" and demanding true climate justice built from the ground up. The Counter Forum is not only a space for protest but also for hope: a call to strengthen global solidarity networks to defend the commons and build dignified futures, far removed from extractivist logic disguised as progress.
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