Colombia's government pegged economic losses from the Aug. 10 earthquake at 30 trillion Colombian pesos, or $9.58 billion, as global superstar Shakira pledged Monday to rebuild at least 10 schools in the devastated region of Chocó. The 7.4 magnitude quake killed at least 287 people and destroyed more than 26,000 dwellings across western Colombia.
President Abelardo De La Espriella, who took office days before the disaster struck, is overseeing relief and reconstruction efforts as his administration confronts staggering infrastructure costs. The government's damage assessment shows about 24.5 trillion pesos in buildings and 5.5 trillion pesos in infrastructure.
Private Sector Steps In
Shakira, 49, made her commitment during a surprise visit to Quibdó, the capital of Chocó, where she toured damaged schools and met with students. "What worries me the most is that schools are not rebuilt once this emergency is over," she told journalists. "Every day that children don't go to school is a day they miss out on their future."
The Colombian superstar's Fundación Pies Descalzos, or Barefoot Foundation, will partner with the Howard G. Buffett foundation to reconstruct the 10 schools. Howard Buffett, son of billionaire philanthropist Warren Buffett and a longtime donor to Colombia who has helped Shakira set up schools there before, accompanied her on the visit. "When she calls, I come," Buffett said.
Shakira announced pledges of $500,000 each from the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund and Live Nation and $250,000 from CAF Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean toward rebuilding schools and getting children back into classrooms. She also said she planned to dedicate her "personal efforts" to rebuilding a local technological university in Chocó.
Scale of Destruction
The quake hit a vast swath of western Colombia and left the epicenter in Chocó, one of Colombia's poorest regions. The regional government said Monday that at least 3,100 homes were destroyed and over 265 educational sites affected in Chocó. Authorities said 194 people are missing, while other civilian-run databases put the number at more than 4,100.
Aid groups have struggled to assess the damage in Chocó, an area the size of Switzerland where communication is difficult. The province has few roads linking it to the rest of the country, and its towns and villages are connected mostly by rivers and unpaved roads. Most of Chocó's 600,000 inhabitants live in poverty, according to figures published last year by Colombia's national government, and the region is largely inhabited by Indigenous tribes and Afro Colombian communities.
During her visit to a large high school in Quibdó, Shakira said: "There is not a way to alleviate the pain of so many, there are no magic solutions, but what there is, is commitment to be here alongside those from Chocó, to not abandon El Chocó like it historically has been abandoned, until every Colombian and every person from Chocó can return to their normal lives like they deserve and all the children can return to their schools and dream of the futures they deserve."
Broader Relief Efforts
The Grammy award winner known for hits like "Whenever, Wherever," "La Tortura," and the 2026 FIFA World Cup anthem "Dai Dai" recently headlined the halftime show of the World Cup final match in July and performed in May on Brazil's Copacabana Beach to a crowd of 2 million. After Venezuela's twin earthquakes in June, Shakira announced the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund would commit $500,000 to education recovery there.
Her announcement Monday came as one of many commitments from prominent Colombians and other Latin American artists to help Colombia and Venezuela. On Sunday, Marc Anthony and Chayanne joined dozens of other artists at a Miami benefit concert and live fundraiser for both countries' earthquake relief. Colombian singer Karol G pledged to match fan donations to her Con Cora Foundation during her three-night run at SoFi Stadium near Los Angeles last weekend, and she will also join Maluma, Sebastián Yatra and others at a benefit concert in Bogotá this Sunday.
Why This Matters:
The nearly $10 billion in earthquake losses represents a massive fiscal burden for Colombia's government at a time when President De La Espriella's administration is just beginning. The scale of destruction—more than 26,000 dwellings and 265 educational sites in Chocó alone—underscores the critical role private philanthropy and individual initiative are playing in reconstruction efforts. Shakira's commitment to rebuild schools, backed by corporate and foundation partners, demonstrates how market-based charitable giving can mobilize resources faster than government bureaucracies in crisis response. The challenge facing Chocó, historically one of Colombia's most neglected regions with poor infrastructure and limited government presence, highlights the importance of private sector engagement in areas where state capacity has traditionally fallen short. The missing persons discrepancy—194 official versus more than 4,100 in civilian databases—raises questions about government accountability and transparency in disaster response.