many of President Donald Trump’s

Critics warn that the government’s push to expedite approvals for other developments could escalate tensions.A gas company operates near submerged trees in Manaure, Colombia, Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Ivan Valencia)

A gas company operates near submerged trees in Manaure, Colombia, Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Ivan Valencia)“La Guajira has been very sought after by these companies,” Samuel Lanao, head of Corpoguajira, La Guajira’s environment authority told The Associated Press in Riohacha, the region’s capital. “When a foreign company enters these territories with the intention of exploiting renewable energies, there is always going to be a clash.”Colombia’s government has committed to respecting Indigenous rights through legal frameworks like the 1991 Constitution, which recognizes Indigenous autonomy, and international agreements that ensure their right to prior consultation and participation in decisions that affect them. The 2016 Peace Agreement also touched on Indigenous communities’ rights, land restitution, and participation in political processes.

David, an Indigenous child from the Wayuu community, swings in a hammock in Mayapo, Colombia, Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Ivan Valencia)David, an Indigenous child from the Wayuu community, swings in a hammock in Mayapo, Colombia, Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Ivan Valencia)

Social issues have begun to spook companies, with 57 planned projects stalled, according to Indepaz, a Bogotá-based development organization with extensive research on the matter. While some projects are Colombian, the majority involve international companies from Brazil, Europe, U.S. and Canada.

“It’s clear they’re worried. There’s been a slowdown in the progress of these energy transition projects precisely because of that conflict,” Lanao said. “I believe that the national government plays an important role in achieving a community-company agreement.”“The bigger story is the students around the country that aren’t a Harvard student, the students that scraped by to get into a state university and are thinking: ‘Are we next?’” he said. “The Harvard kids are going to be OK. It’s more about the damage to the American education brand. The view of the U.S. being a less welcoming place for international students.”

Binkley reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Annie Ma and Fu Ting in Washington, Jocelyn Gecker in San Francisco and Bianca Vázquez Toness in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and researcher Shihuan Chen in Beijing, also contributed to this report.The Associated Press’ education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s

for working with philanthropies, aof supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.