With every ton of concrete poured to dam the Sinu River in northeastern Colombia, the Embera-Katio Indians watch another bit of their fragile culture disappear. The river in Cordoba province is central to the way of life for the 2,400 Emberas who live in stilted huts on its banks. It was where they got their food, it was the their main mode of transport and formed the backbone of their culture.
Activists say the very survival of their culture is is at stake.
The government says Colombia needs the 340 megawatts of power the plant will generate to meet increasing energy demands. In the struggle between the opponents and proponents of the project, tens of millions of dollars are on the line, and some people have already paid for their cause with their lives. The Urra project has been controversial since initial work began in 1993. The Emberas won an injunction from the Constitutional Court against the project in 1998 until Urra reached agreement with the Embera on how to mitigate the effects of the dam and electricity plant on their lives. Urra did reached an agreement last year with one faction of the 20 communities that make up the Embera-Katio people.