Right-wing businessman Abelardo de la Espriella holds a razor-thin lead in Colombia’s preliminary presidential vote count, positioning the Donald Trump ally to clear the way for expanded fossil fuel extraction, including controversial fracking projects.
A de la Espriella presidency would mark a sharp reversal for one of the world’s most ambitious experiments in fossil fuel phaseout. Under outgoing President Gustavo Petro, Colombia banned fracking and became the first major oil-producing nation to halt new oil and gas exploration licenses, positioning itself as a bellwether for developing countries seeking to align their economic policies with climate goals.
Election authorities said on Monday that with 99.9 percent of the results in, de la Espriella holds 49.66 percent of the vote, while progressive lawmaker and Petro-ally Iván Cepeda Castro has 48.7 percent. De la Espriella claimed victory Sunday night.
Petro alleged irregularities in the vote count in social media posts Sunday. He and Cepeda said they will challenge the results.
De la Espriella, 47, campaigned on aggressively expanding oil, gas and mineral extraction, saying that his policy platform will provide economic security and energy self-sufficiency.
