Colombia announces insurance agreement for earthquake victims

Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella announced a series of coordinated measures with the insurance sector on Wednesday to accelerate the delivery of compensation and subsidies to those affected by the August 10 earthquake. The president confirmed that the state will cross-reference its official databases with private companies to simplify procedures amidst an emergency that has already claimed 314 lives.

Speaking at a press conference in Bogotá, De la Espriella dispelled rumors of immediate deadlines for claim processing, offering reassurance to the affected population. "All claims to insurance companies will be attended to and expedited. Affected individuals have two years to submit their applications to the insurance companies," he emphasized. The president specified that properties in socioeconomic strata 1, 2, and 3, as well as social housing, will receive priority attention, without neglecting other policyholders.

In cases where a property has policies with multiple entities, the companies must coordinate directly with each other. "We cannot transfer the burden of resolving inter-company procedures to the citizen while they are facing the consequences of a tragedy like this," De la Espriella argued. This coordination aims to prevent individuals from being overwhelmed by administrative tasks during their recovery.

The agreement with the insurance sector precedes the formal signing of an economic emergency decree, a measure intended to allocate extraordinary resources for reconstruction. Official figures updated Wednesday midday indicate 314 deaths, 319 bodies received and identified, 4,437 injured, and 262 missing. The earthquake's epicenter was in San José del Palmar, Chocó, affecting 15 departments and 471 municipalities, leaving 262,154 people displaced. Infrastructure damage includes 30,664 destroyed homes, 136,946 damaged houses, 302 collapsed buildings, and significant damage to schools, health centers, roads, bridges, and water systems nationwide.