New Delhi, June 25 -- The rise of Abelardo de la Espriella, a businessman and lawyer set to be Colombia's next president, is raising questions about whether political shifts underway across Latin America could reshape the future of the Amazon rainforest.

The Colombia election result comes as Peru appears poised to elect Keiko Fujimori as president following a closely contested vote. Meanwhile, Brazil is preparing for a presidential election that could push the country back to the right if Flavio Bolsonaro, son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, defeats President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

The elections raise the possibility that countries with the largest shares of the Amazon could move toward policies that place greater emphasis on ec...