Colombia’s first leftist president and Goldman Environmental Prize-winning VP promise to transition the country away from fossil fuels.
By Olivia Rosane, EcoWatch
The results of Colombia’s latest election could be a major victory for the planet.
On Sunday night, the country voted in its first-ever leftist president, Gustavo Petro, and its first Black vice president, Francia Marquez, who is also a Goldman Environmental Prize winner, as Climate Home News reported. Included in the pair’s ambitious agenda is a commitment to ending new fossil fuel exploration and phasing out all fossil fuel use. If they succeed, Colombia could become the largest fossil fuel producing nation to abandon the energy sources largely responsible for the climate crisis.
“These are not baby steps but huge steps towards the transition and reducing fossil fuels,” Colombian environmentalist Martin Ramirez told Climate Home News.
In his manifesto, Petro promised to transition from an energy system based primarily on fossil fuels to one based on a variety of renewable sources. He also promised to incentivize the use of electric vehicles and to protect the Amazon rainforest as a crucial carbon sink.
“We will promote within Colombia’s foreign policy a great American front in the struggle against climate change, which includes saving the Amazon rainforest and restoring it as the great lungs of humanity,” the manifesto said.
Recent Posts
In a Country That Needs Heroes, Here Are a Few Standouts This Election Season
Take Action Now Right now, the United States is unhappy enough to need a lot of heroes – and during this election year, many have emerged. Here are…
DSA Is Eyeing a 2028 AOC Presidential Run
Take Action Now Members of the Democratic Socialists of America are thinking seriously about a national presidential campaign for Alexandria…
Israel Is Accelerating Plans to Annex Neighboring Lands
Take Action Now Israel’s ethnic cleansing of southern Lebanon and Gaza has reached a scale unseen since the Nakba. The history of Israel’s offensives…
The Democratic Party Still Hates the Left
Take Action Now The Democratic Party is terrified of even small liberal reforms and will not abide left leaning democrats thwarting their plans for…