Abelardo de la Espriella took the oath of office on August 7, 2026, in Cali and pledged to revive Colombia’s oil and gas sector, restore Ecopetrol, and prioritize energy security. Former President Gustavo Petro had halted new exploration contracts. De la Espriella won a narrow runoff victory in June as a right-wing candidate.
“Colombia’s new president takes office vowing to ‘crush’ narco-terrorism”
Read at Al Jazeera →“Colombia’s new president signals energy policy shift, backs oil and gas”
Read at Associated Press →No right-leaning sources covered this
De la Espriella’s pledges mark a rollback of Petro’s climate agenda that halted new contracts to reduce fossil dependence.
“Short-term extraction risks locking in carbon infrastructure and stranding assets”
The policy shift corrects Petro’s restrictions that weakened domestic production and increased foreign reliance.
“Hydrocarbon resources should drive growth, jobs, and fiscal health”
Reversing the exploration ban restores economic liberty by ending arbitrary government limits on production.
“Market-driven abundance supports individual autonomy over mandates”
All views treat the issue as a binary climate-versus-growth choice while ignoring reserves data, fiscal dependence on Ecopetrol, and electricity system details.
“Narrow electoral margin and state enterprise risks receive insufficient scrutiny”
Ratings by MBFC
Abelardo de la Espriella Sworn In as Colombia President, Pledges Revival of Oil and Gas Sector You are here