A powerful 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia Monday, killing at least 111 people and damaging 1,600 buildings, leaving local communities devastated and their new president facing an immediate national crisis. President Abelardo de la Espriella reported the death toll, confirming 87 injuries and the complete collapse of 61 structures. He declared an emergency to expedite funding for recovery efforts, vowing to visit the disaster zone and stating, “We aren’t going to leave people alone.”
The epicenter was located in San Jose Del Palmar, a community of approximately 4,800 people within the Choco region, situated about 250 miles west of Bogota, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The quake's tremors were felt in neighboring Ecuador and Panama, though these nations reported only minimal damage. Cities across western Colombia, including Pereira, Quibdo, Cali, and Manizales, bore the brunt of the destruction.
The National Toll
In Cali, search teams and local civilians worked through the remains of destroyed buildings, passing large pieces of concrete and other rubble in a long line of volunteers. Jorge Moncayo, a 64-year-old taxi driver in Cali, recounted seeing plumes of dust rise across the city as structures fell, stating, “My entire house shook. I’ve never lived through such a powerful earthquake.” He added, “We’re thanking God we’re alive.”
Local authorities confirmed that the death toll included at least 40 people in the Risaralda region, home to the hard-hit city of Pereira, and 27 in the Valle del Cauca region, where Cali is located, among them three children. Nine people died in Choco, two in Caldas, and a 73-year-old in Antioquia, with the locations of the remaining 32 deaths not immediately clear. Flights were suspended at airports in Manizales, Quibdo, Armenia, Cartago, Buenaventura, and Pereira as officials assessed the damage.
Colombia’s Geological Service stated Monday’s quake was the strongest recorded in Colombia “in the 21st century,” followed by 21 less powerful aftershocks. The Pacific region, particularly Choco, around the quake’s epicenter, lies along the Ring of Fire, a line of seismic faults where most of the world’s earthquakes occur. Choco is one of the poorest regions in the country, nestled in dense jungle, often only reachable by boat or plane, which may complicate authorities' efforts to assess the full extent of the devastation on its native population.
In Pereira, local media published photos and videos showing pieces of the airport ceiling collapsing onto travelers seeking shelter, amidst screams. Mayor Mauricio Salazar told a local radio station that more people were trapped under “a massive quantity of collapsed buildings.” In nearby Manizales, a tower of the neo-Gothic cathedral collapsed onto the nave, prompting Mayor Jorge Eduardo Rojas to ask residents to remain outdoors due to potential aftershocks. Cali Mayor Alejandro Eder reported that residents were trapped in at least 19 collapsed buildings within the city of 2 million.
A New Leader's Challenge
Small earthquakes, known as temblores, are common in central and western Colombia, but those above 6.0 magnitude are rare, with a 6.2 magnitude quake near Armenia 27 years ago killing over 1,100 people. Colombia’s newly inaugurated president, a Trump ally sworn in over the weekend, now faces his first major challenge. He affirmed, “You are not alone. The state is present and taking action.”
External Intervention
Messages of support quickly arrived from leaders across the Americas, including Mexico, Brazil, Ecuador, El Salvador, and the United States. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio posted on X that the “Trump administration is closely monitoring the large earthquake that struck Colombia and stands ready to support the people of Colombia.” The U.N. deputy spokesman, Farhan Haq, also stated, “we stand ready to help as needed,” signaling the readiness of international institutions to insert themselves. Financial markets reacted, with Latin American equities, measured by the MSCI index, sliding about 0.26%, while a currencies gauge remained flat, Reuters reported.