Before leaving office, Gustavo Petro banned new oil and mineral extraction projects in the Colombian Amazon, which makes up 42% of the country’s territory. The resolution was published on the eve of the transfer of power. It closes the way to new mining concessions and oil and gas contracts, although existing permits remain valid until they expire.
In this way, Petro left behind not only a political legacy but also a concrete environmental one. The timing is especially notable: his successor, Abelardo de la Espriella, had spoken in favor of developing the oil and gas sector.
The new government must now decide whether it will keep the environmental barrier created by its predecessor.
