Cali Earthquake Survivors Face Looters Amidst Devastation

The devastating 7.4 magnitude earthquake that struck Cali, Colombia, left a trail of destruction, with 8,600 properties affected in the city alone. Among the hardest-hit structures was the Molino Rojo apart-hotel, a building that had stood for 22 years and represented the life's work of owners Marleny Cuenca and Paulo Antonio Cárdenas.

Cuenca and Cárdenas, an elderly couple, built the apart-hotel from the ground up, supporting their entire family. The earthquake reduced their establishment to rubble, wiping out their savings and their source of income. Upon returning to the site, a heartbroken Cuenca surveyed the ruins, tears flowing as she navigated the debris. She expressed gratitude that despite the devastation, no more lives were lost, though she extended condolences to the family of one person who died in the incident.

"It is very sad to see how everything that was worked for is now nothing. This is total devastation," Cuenca lamented, her voice trembling. "I know I must feel grateful to God, and my husband and I are, because the earthquake did not leave more victims here."

However, the couple faced a further blow not from nature, but from human malice. While authorities and rescue teams were still working to stabilize the area and search for survivors in the initial week of chaos, a group of armed and masked individuals broke into the collapsed apart-hotel. These looters moved quickly through the ruins, exacerbating the distress of the owners who were already grappling with the loss of their property and livelihood.