A 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia on August 10, killing at least 287 people and destroying over 26,000 dwellings. The devastation hit Chocó hardest, one of Colombia’s poorest regions, where 600,000 inhabitants live in poverty, according to figures published last year by the national government. This region, largely inhabited by Indigenous tribes and Afro Colombian communities, now faces further collapse of its already fragile infrastructure.
Who Bears the Cost
The quake left 287 dead. Government authorities report 194 people missing, but civilian-run databases put that number at more than 4,100. Over 26,000 dwellings were destroyed across the affected areas, with the regional government confirming 3,100 homes lost and 265 educational sites damaged in Chocó alone. Communication remains difficult in the province, an area the size of Switzerland, where few roads link it to the rest of the country. Towns and villages connect mostly by rivers and unpaved roads, a testament to decades of systematic underdevelopment.
Capital's Response
Colombian superstar Shakira announced Monday she would help rebuild at least 10 schools and restore a local university in Chocó. She made the pledge during a surprise visit to Quibdó, the capital of Chocó, touring damaged schools and interacting with students. “What worries me the most is that schools are not rebuilt once this emergency is over,” Shakira told journalists. She added, “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.”
Shakira was accompanied by Howard Buffett, son of billionaire philanthropist Warren Buffett, a longtime donor to Colombia. Buffett’s foundation will work with Shakira’s Fundación Pies Descalzos on the reconstruction effort. “When she calls, I come,” Buffett stated. Shakira also announced pledges of $500,000 each from the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund and Live Nation, alongside $250,000 from CAF Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean. These funds are earmarked for rebuilding schools and getting children back into classrooms. This celebrity-driven philanthropy follows Shakira's previous commitment of $500,000 from the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund for education recovery after Venezuela’s twin earthquakes in June of the same year.
The State's Role in Neglect
President Abelardo De La Espriella, who took office days before the quake, is overseeing relief and reconstruction efforts. The government estimates total losses at 30 trillion Colombian pesos, or $9.58 billion. This figure includes approximately 24.5 trillion pesos in buildings and 5.5 trillion pesos in infrastructure. These estimates highlight the vast scale of destruction in a region already suffering from chronic underinvestment and neglect. The discrepancy between government and civilian figures for missing persons further underscores the state's limited capacity or willingness to fully account for the human cost. Other prominent Colombians and Latin American artists, including Marc Anthony, Chayanne, Karol G, Maluma, and Sebastián Yatra, have also joined benefit concerts and fundraisers, channeling private capital towards a crisis born of public systemic failure.