Colombia Declares Economic Emergency as Earthquake Rescue Enters Final Phase

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Conservative President of Colombia Abelardo de la Espriella declared a state of economic emergency on August 13, 2026, to expedite the country's recovery after a devastating earthquake. The declaration grants de la Espriella special provisions to issue decrees addressing the ongoing emergency. Colombia is recovering from a magnitude 7.4 earthquake that struck on Monday morning. As of the latest update from Colombian authorities, the earthquake affected 53,816 individuals across 25,872 families, with at least 265 deaths and nearly 3,500 injured. The number of missing persons has been revised up to 496, and search and rescue efforts are focused on finding them. Cali Mayor Alejandro Eder stated on Wednesday that rescue efforts were entering the final phase as the critical 72-hour window for rescue operations neared its end on Thursday morning. Rescuers in cities like Cali and Pereira worked through a third night, using bare hands, cranes, and sniffer dogs, pausing to listen for signs of life. In Pereira, crews focused on a collapsed bakery where they believe street vendor Pablo Loaiza may still be alive, with equipment detecting possible signs of life. The earthquake destroyed 11,347 households and damaged 53,526 others, causing 140 buildings to collapse. It also damaged 1,819 education centers, 631 community centers, 179 healthcare facilities, and public roads, aqueducts, and five airports. President de la Espriella, in his first week in office, stressed that the tragedy occurred during Colombia's most complex fiscal crisis. He also announced three days of national mourning. A delegation from ZAKA's International Division is providing assistance, establishing a temporary clinic at one destruction site.

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