7.4-Magnitude Earthquake Slams Colombia, Testing a President Three Days Into Office

MANIZALES, COLOMBIA — A powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck Colombia on Monday morning, August 10, the country’s strongest in a decade, causing building collapses, injuries, casualties reported in several locations, and widespread infrastructure damage across a broad swath of the country’s western and central regions — arriving just three days into President Abelardo de la Espriella’s term.

What We Know

The earthquake struck at 7:34 a.m. local time, with its epicenter near the municipality of San José del Palmar in Chocó department, at a depth of approximately 96 kilometers, according to Colombia’s Geological Service and the U.S. Geological Survey.

The tremor lasted several minutes and was felt across a large portion of the country — from Quibdó and Cali to Bogotá, Medellín, Manizales, Pereira, Armenia, and Popayán — and reached as far as neighboring Ecuador and Panama.

Confirmed Deaths & Injuries

Manizales Mayor Jorge Eduardo Rojas confirmed at least two deaths related to the earthquake, saying in a video posted to X that “many buildings suffered impact; we have buildings that are totally or partially destroyed,” and urging residents to stay outside buildings as a precaution against aftershocks.

In Chocó’s capital, Quibdó, Governor Nubia Carolina Córdoba reported injuries and severe building damage, writing on X: “We just went through a serious seismic event in the department of Chocó. We’re concerned about aftershocks. Although the epicenter was San José del Palmar, in the capital Quibdó there are injuries and serious damage to buildings.” She said damage assessments were underway to produce an official report.

Authorities in Pereira reported people trapped in the rubble of at least one collapsed building, video of which circulated widely on social media, showing the structure coming down in real time.

Damage Across Multiple Cities

The earthquake’s reach extended well beyond its epicenter.

In Manizales, capital of Caldas department roughly 300 kilometers from Bogotá, the city’s landmark Catedral Basílica sustained damage to one of its towers, and multiple buildings shed debris and facade material into the streets. In Cali — where de la Espriella’s presidential inauguration had taken place just three days earlier — at least 20 buildings suffered significant damage.

Pereira’s Matecaña International Airport also sustained structural damage, part of the reason Colombia’s Civil Aeronautics agency suspended flight operations at six airports altogether: Pereira, Manizales, Quibdó, Armenia, Cartago, and Buenaventura, pending structural safety inspections.

Reports also noted flooding and structural concerns in Bucaramanga, where swimming pools reportedly overflowed from the shaking, and residents in Cali described bricks in the streets and non-functioning traffic signals in the storm's aftermath.

A Quake of Rare Magnitude for the Region

Colombian officials and outlets described the tremor as the strongest to hit the country in at least a decade. Notably, several reports drew a direct comparison to the devastating earthquakes that struck neighboring Venezuela on June 24, noting the magnitude of Monday’s Colombian quake was similar to the events that killed thousands there roughly six weeks earlier — a comparison that has heightened concern given how severe that disaster ultimately proved to be.

The Government’s Response

President de la Espriella, sworn in just three days earlier on August 7, moved quickly to take direct control of the emergency response. He announced the immediate installation of a Unified Command Post (Puesto de Mando Unificado) to coordinate damage assessment and assistance to victims, and activated Colombia’s National Disaster Management Committee.

“I have ordered the installation of a Unified Command Post to coordinate the response to damages and those affected,” de la Espriella wrote on X. “I will also personally be in Pereira to accompany those affected and verify the government’s response. They are not alone. The State is present and acting.”

De la Espriella confirmed plans to travel personally to the country’s Eje Cafetero (Coffee Axis) region, among the hardest hit, to assess conditions on the ground.

International Response

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum addressed the earthquake during her Monday morning press conference, saying Mexico stands ready to support Colombia’s government in responding to the damage.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres also issued a statement following the quake, calling for respect for the “individual and collective rights” of those affected.

A Difficult Start to a New Presidency

The earthquake presents an immediate and unplanned test for de la Espriella’s government, arriving before his administration has completed even its first week in office — a week that had already been dominated by his sweeping first actions on security policy, including the transfer of 117 high-profile inmates to maximum-security prisons and the announcement of a $1 billion U.S. security assistance package.

How his government manages this natural disaster, layered on top of an already ambitious opening agenda spanning security, fiscal policy, and foreign relations, is likely to shape early public perception of his presidency in ways no campaign promise could have anticipated.

The Coming Days

Authorities across the affected departments continue conducting building-by-building safety assessments, with officials in multiple cities warning residents to remain outside structures given the risk of aftershocks.

A full accounting of casualties, structural damage, and economic cost had not yet been finalized as of this writing, with officials in Chocó, Caldas, and Risaralda departments still compiling preliminary reports. Given the quake’s magnitude and geographic reach, the coming days are likely to bring a clearer picture of both the human toll and the scale of reconstruction facing a government not yet a week into its term.