New leader breaks with predecessor’s renewable energy push
De la Espriella laid out an energy vision centered on what he called self-sufficiency during his inauguration address Friday. He said Colombia would pursue an energy transition away from oil, gas and coal toward cleaner sources such as wind and solar power, but argued the shift must not come at the expense of the country’s fossil fuel industry.
“I believe in the energy transition,” de la Espriella said. “But that transition must be built from strength, not from weakness, from self-sufficiency and not from dependence.”
The policy direction marks a stark contrast with Petro’s tenure. The former president halted new exploration contracts for oil and gas and made protection of the Amazon rainforest a centerpiece of his environmental agenda and international diplomacy. Just four months before Friday’s inauguration, Petro’s government hosted an international summit in Santa Marta focused on building momentum for a global phaseout of fossil fuels.
De la Espriella’s pledge to restore Ecopetrol — Colombia’s state-owned energy company — signals that the new government intends to put the company at the center of its energy strategy. He also called for strengthening Colombia’s electricity system, though he did not provide specific details on either initiative during the address.
The remarks are among the most concrete early signals of how de la Espriella’s government will depart from the policy framework Petro established during his time in office.