Instead of using the energy crisis resulting from the Russian attack on Ukraine as an additional boost to the domestic energy transition, many Western states, and especially Germany, turned to Latin America to satisfy their energy hunger. On the one hand, they wanted to buy fossil fuels that they could no longer obtain in Russia, and on the other hand, they wanted to secure access to so-called green energy production in Latin America. What does this renewed interest mean for the countries concerned? Is there a difference between classic fossil exports and new energy sources such as hydrogen and fuels based on it? Who benefits? In this study, we highlight three examples of the new raw material boom in Latin America and its impact on people and the environment.