Colombia’s Climate Revolution Faces Collapse as Trump Ally Takes Election Lead

BOGOTÁ — A razor-thin lead in Colombia’s preliminary presidential vote count has put right-wing businessman Abelardo de la Espriella on the path to power. A close ally of Donald Trump, de la Espriella has promised to expand fossil fuel extraction, including controversial fracking projects. If he wins, his presidency would reverse one of the world’s most ambitious experiments in ending fossil fuel dependence. Colombia’s current government has led global efforts to phase out oil and coal. De la Espriella’s rise threatens to dismantle those landmark climate policies. The vote remains too close to call, but the preliminary count positions him to clear the way for drilling and mining that environmentalists say could set back global climate goals.