Colombia's fiery left-wing President Gustavo Petro is one of the biggest opponents of fossil fuels on the world stage today, with speeches that lump oil and coal with cocaine as his country's “three poisons.” He's set a goal of weaning Colombia off those fossil fuels, putting the green energy transition and environmental protection at the center of his agenda.
His opposition is long-held, but it's also practical. Colombia's oil reserves are projected to last only about seven years, and without new discoveries, the country will eventually have to find a way forward without the oil and coal that make up more than half its exports.
