Outgoing Environment Minister Irene Vélez Torres warned that President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella's administration could reverse recent climate and conservation advances by supporting fracking and expanded fossil-fuel development. She flagged risks to Indigenous environmental governance in the Amazon, the potential return of aerial glyphosate spraying over coca crops, and threats to páramos that supply water to millions. Vélez called for preserving protections for forests, wetlands and Indigenous territorial rights despite the political transition.
Outgoing Colombian Environment Minister Warns New Government Could Reverse Climate and Conservation Gains
FILE - Colombia's Environmental Minister Irene Vélez Torres talks during an interview with The Associated Press at the Botanical Garden Jose Celestino Mutis in Bogota, Colombia, April 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara, File)(AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
BOGOTÁ — Colombia's outgoing environment minister warned Friday that the incoming administration could roll back recent advances on climate action and conservation, citing its support for fracking, expanded fossil-fuel development and what she described as climate skepticism among some incoming officials.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Environment Minister Irene Vélez Torres said she fears Colombia could lose momentum on climate policy at a time when the country is already confronting mounting environmental threats, including El Niño, a natural climate pattern that can disrupt rainfall and trigger droughts, floods and extreme heat.
"Arriving with an attitude of climate denialism is absolutely dangerous," Vélez said.
The warning comes weeks before President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella takes office on Aug. 7 following a narrow election that signaled a sharp political shift after four years under President Gustavo Petro. The Petro administration had positioned Colombia as a vocal player in climate diplomacy, Amazon protection and the transition away from fossil fuels.
During his campaign — an effort that received public endorsement from U.S. President Donald Trump — de la Espriella pledged to revive Colombia's oil sector, backed the possibility of fracking and argued that the country should make fuller use of its natural resources to spur economic growth. Environmental advocates and many Indigenous leaders warn that prioritizing extractive industries could increase pressure on sensitive ecosystems, including parts of the Amazon rainforest.
FILE - Colombian President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella, left, waves to supporters next to his wife Ana Lucia Pineda during a Mass in honor of Our Lady of the Rosary of Chiquinquira, in Chiquinquira, Colombia, July 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara, File)(AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
Amazon, Páramos and Indigenous Governance at Risk
About 42% of Colombia's territory is within the Amazon basin, and protecting rainforest and advancing a move away from fossil fuels were central pillars of the Petro administration's environmental agenda. Vélez singled out concerns about Indigenous environmental governance in the Amazon, saying she fears the incoming administration could weaken recent efforts to recognize Indigenous authorities as key environmental decision-makers and reduce support for territorial governance initiatives.
She also raised alarms over the possible reinstatement of aerial glyphosate spraying to eradicate coca crops — the plant used to produce cocaine — calling the herbicide "potentially carcinogenic to humans" and saying its past use left lasting environmental and health impacts in Colombia.
Vélez warned that expanded fossil fuel development and mining in Colombia's páramos — unique, high-altitude wetlands that supply water to millions — would pose additional risks to water security and biodiversity.
FILE - The Putumayo River flows near visible spots of deforestation on the outskirts of Puerto Asis, Colombia, Nov. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Ivan Valencia, File)(AP Photo/Ivan Valencia)
The incoming administration has disputed some of Vélez's characterizations. Fabio Arjona, a marine biologist nominated by de la Espriella to be environment minister, has said environmental debates should be less ideological, criticized what he termed "environmental hysteria," and defended the possibility of allowing fracking under strict controls while asserting it should not occur in protected areas such as national parks and páramos.
Representatives for de la Espriella and for Arjona did not respond to requests for comment before publication.
Vélez urged that the transition of power should not erase recent efforts to curb deforestation, restore ecosystems and strengthen protections for wetlands, páramos and the Amazon.
"We have a legacy that, despite our differences, should be preserved," Vélez said. "It would be an unforgivable mistake to abandon this agenda simply because it comes from a different political sector. Social and environmental justice must remain at the center of the political agenda."
Note: The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. For AP's standards on working with philanthropies and a list of supporters, see AP.org.
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