A powerful 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia on Monday, killing at least 79 people and trapping residents under the debris of collapsed buildings. The quake forced widespread evacuations, reaching as far as Bogotá, exposing the deep vulnerabilities of the region's infrastructure.
At least 40 people died in the Risaralda region, which includes the hard-hit city of Pereira. Another 27 people were killed in the Valle del Cauca region, home to Colombia’s third-biggest city, Cali; three of these victims were children. Authorities also confirmed nine deaths in Choco, two in Caldas, and a 73-year-old in Antioquia, with many more injured across the country.
Cities like Pereira, Quibdo, Cali, and Manizales were left ravaged. Residents and search teams picked through the rubble, fearing aftershocks. Colombia’s interior minister reported that over 20 municipalities had been impacted.
Jorge Moncayo, a 64-year-old taxi driver in Cali, described seeing plumes of dust rise across the city as structures fell. “My entire house shook. I’ve never lived through such a powerful earthquake,” Moncayo stated, adding, “We’re thanking God we’re alive.”
The Cost of Underdevelopment
The U.S. Geological Survey and Colombia’s counterpart identified the epicenter in San Jose Del Palmar, a community of about 4,800 people in the Choco region. This rural area, approximately 250 miles west of Bogota, bore the initial brunt of the seismic activity, which struck at a depth of 66 miles.
Colombia’s Geological Service confirmed this was the highest magnitude earthquake registered in the country in the last decade. Two aftershocks, measuring 2.8 and 4.8 magnitude, followed the main tremor. Flights were suspended at airports in Manizales, Quibdo, Armenia, Cartago, Buenaventura, and Pereira, further disrupting the lives of working people.
This disaster follows two back-to-back quakes that devastated neighboring Venezuela in late June the same year, destroying hundreds of buildings and killing over 5,000 people. While Colombia’s buildings collapsed, desperate families in Venezuela continued to search for loved ones in the ruins, highlighting a regional pattern of vulnerable populations facing catastrophic infrastructure failures.
State's Response: Platitudes Amidst Rubble
Newly inaugurated President Abelardo de la Espriella, a Trump ally, stated he had personally taken charge of the government’s response in San José del Palmar. “You are not alone. The state is present and taking action,” de la Espriella declared, offering words while the immediate material reality for thousands remained devastation.
Messages of support arrived from leaders across the Americas, including Mexico, Brazil, Ecuador, El Salvador, and the United States. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote 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.” These offers of aid arrive only after the catastrophe, not as preventative measures against structural collapse.
In Pereira, local media published photos and videos showing pieces of the airport ceiling falling onto screaming travelers. Mayor Mauricio Salazar reported at least 18 deaths and many more trapped under “a massive quantity of collapsed buildings.” In Manizales, a city in the coffee-producing mountains, a tower of the neo-Gothic cathedral collapsed onto the nave. Mayor Jorge Eduardo Rojas advised residents to remain outdoors, fearing further aftershocks.
Vulnerable Lives, Vulnerable Structures
In Cali, a city of 2 million, Mayor Alejandro Eder confirmed residents were trapped in at least 19 collapsed buildings. Small earthquakes are common in central and western Colombia, but those above 6.0 magnitude are rare. However, when they do occur, the human cost is immense, as seen 27 years ago in 1999, when a 6.2 magnitude quake near Armenia killed over 1,100 people. The recurring devastation underscores the systemic failure to build resilient infrastructure for the working class and dispossessed. The state's role remains one of managing crisis, not preventing it through fundamental investment and planning.