A powerful 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia on Monday, killing at least 79 people and trapping residents under debris. The seismic event forced widespread evacuations, reaching as far as Bogotá. This catastrophe presents the first major challenge to newly inaugurated President Abelardo de la Espriella, a Trump ally sworn in just over the weekend.
The U.S. Geological Survey and Colombia’s counterpart reported the epicenter in San Jose Del Palmar, a community of approximately 4,800 people in the Choco region. This location sits about 250 miles, or 400 kilometers, west of Bogota. The quake struck at a depth of 66 miles, or 107 kilometers, and was also felt in neighboring Ecuador and Panama, though minimal damage was reported in those nations.
Local officials confirmed at least 40 fatalities in the Risaralda region, which includes the hard-hit city of Pereira. Another 27 people died in the Valle del Cauca region, home to Colombia’s third-biggest city, Cali. The governor there stated that three of those killed were children. Nine people perished in Choco, two in the Caldas region, and a 73-year-old in the Antioquia region. Many more across the country sustained injuries.
National Devastation
Cities across western Colombia — Pereira, Quibdo, Cali, and Manizales — lie ravaged. Residents and search teams now pick through the rubble of collapsed buildings, fearing aftershocks. Colombia’s interior minister noted that more than 20 municipalities nationwide had been impacted.
Jorge Moncayo, a 64-year-old taxi driver in Cali, described plumes of dust rising across the city as structures fell. “My entire house shook,” he recounted, adding, “I’ve never lived through such a powerful earthquake.” He expressed gratitude for survival.
Colombia’s Geological Service declared this 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. Authorities also suspended flights at airports in Manizales, Quibdo, Armenia, Cartago, Buenaventura, and Pereira, further disrupting national life.
The quake’s impact in Colombia follows two back-to-back quakes that devastated neighboring Venezuela in late June of the same year. Those events destroyed hundreds of buildings and killed over 5,000 people. As Colombia grappled with its own disaster, Venezuelan families continued to search ruins for loved ones.
In Pereira, local media published photos and videos showing pieces of the airport ceiling collapsing onto screaming travelers seeking shelter. People ran through rubble in a panic. Pereira’s mayor, Mauricio Salazar, told a local radio station that at least 18 people had died, with many more trapped under “a massive quantity of collapsed buildings.”
Manizales, a city nestled in Colombia’s coffee-producing mountains, saw one of its neo-Gothic cathedral towers collapse onto the nave. Mayor Jorge Eduardo Rojas urged residents to remain outdoors, anticipating further aftershocks. Authorities in the rural state of Choco, the quake’s epicenter, reported injured individuals and damaged structures in the capital but provided limited details. Cali Mayor Alejandro Eder confirmed residents were trapped in at least 19 collapsed buildings within his city of 2 million.
Small earthquakes, or temblores, are common in central and western Colombia. However, those exceeding 6.0 magnitude are rare. A 6.2 magnitude quake near Armenia 27 years ago killed more than 1,100 people, a stark reminder of the nation’s seismic vulnerability.
A Test for National Leadership
President Abelardo de la Espriella, newly sworn in, personally assumed command of the government’s emergency response in San José del Palmar. He declared, “You are not alone. The state is present and taking action.” This crisis immediately tests the resolve and capacity of the new national leadership.
Globalist Overtures
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 stated on X that “The Trump administration is closely monitoring the large earthquake that struck Colombia and stands ready to support the people of Colombia.” A number of countries offered aid. The U.N. deputy spokesman, Farhan Haq, also affirmed, “we stand ready to help as needed,” signaling the readiness of supranational bodies to involve themselves in the national crisis.