Enrique Peñalosa and President-elect Gustavo Petro staged a fight on Twitter over their positions on fracking, a practice that would be banned by the new government.
“Bellicose announcements from the Petro minambient that there will be no fracking, when there are in Canada, Australia or the United States, just means that the oil dollars will stay in the ground, that young Colombians will have fewer opportunities, that there will be fewer public works,” wondered the former mayor of Bogotá.
María Susana Muhamad, environment minister appointed by Gustavo Petro, said her portfolio analyzes the suspension of hydraulic fracturing pilots in the country.
“We want to ban fracking in the Congress of the Republic and stop the licensing of fracking pilots, which will be one of the first actions we will take as a new government,” the official said in an interview with Noticias Caracol.
For his part, the elected president did not hesitate to respond to Peñalosa: “Brother, the issue isn’t how many dollars are left underground if fracking isn’t done, but how many lives are lost above ground if it is.”.
However, the former mayor insisted that “not fracking impoverishes Colombians”.
“President, I’m asking you how many lives have been lost in Canada, Russia, Australia or the United States because of fracking? Do you think you are the only one to protect the environment and the lives of citizens?Penalosa pointed out.
Mr President, I am asking you rather how many lives have been lost in Canada, Russia, Australia or the United States because of fracking? Do you think you are the only one to protect the environment and the lives of citizens? Not fracking impoverishes Colombians
— Enrique Penalosa (@EnriquePenalosa) July 7, 2022
“Amateur introvert. Pop culture trailblazer. Incurable bacon aficionado.”
