Overview
- A magnitude 7.4 earthquake that struck western Colombia on Monday, August 10 has killed about 294 people, left hundreds missing and pushed search operations into a recovery phase as chances of finding survivors fall.
- Bogotá officially requested search teams from the United States, Israel, El Salvador and Ecuador while reportedly not processing offers from Mexico and China, and UN and Mexican rescuers said they received no formal request to enter.
- Local officials, human rights groups and reporters say new government orders such as night curfews and rapid turnover in disaster leadership have disrupted coordination and slowed lifesaving work in hard‑to‑reach communities.
- President Abelardo de la Espriella has moved quickly on foreign policy by restoring ties with Israel, recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, joining the U.S.‑led Shield of the Americas and asking President Trump to suspend U.S. tariffs to ease economic strain.
- The administration has kept up a hardline security push during the emergency, announcing a 1.8‑ton cocaine seizure blamed on the ELN and authorizing closer military cooperation with U.S. forces, a shift that could reallocate resources away from relief and reconstruction.