Translated from Spanish by Carolina Bloem

Juan Manuel Gómez Cotes is Wayuu from the Epinayu ei’ruku (clan). He holds a bachelors in Elementary Education with an emphasis on Social Sciences by the Universidad del Atlántico, and a Masters degree in Pedagogy by the Universidad de La Sabana, Colombia. He is the author of several short stories published between 2020 and 2024. He has won the following contests: Estímulos 2020 “Art in Isolation,” Poetry and Short Story Magical Guajira 2022, and Universidad de La Sabana Short Story 2022 “The Enchantment Of My Country.” His most recent work is “Magical Territory,” a collection of short stories for which he won the Sol de Letras Award. 

El Pozo is a community located on the Ishamana territory of the Epinayuu ei’ruku (clan). This matrilineal group of families belong to the Indigenous Wayuu people that reside in La Guajira department (Colombia) and Zulia state (Venezuela). El Pozo is within the Indigenous reservation and territory of the High and Middle Guajira. Water is fundamental for the life of the Wayuu, who live in an environment which is very arid. The Wayuu consider Juya, rain, like their father, who blesses them with his drops twice a year.