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Colombia's President Proposes 'Marshall Plan' for Earthquake-Hit Chocó Region
🇩🇴 Dominican Republic /Disasters & Emergencies

Colombia's President Proposes 'Marshall Plan' for Earthquake-Hit Chocó Region

From Diario Libre · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Colombia's President Abelardo de la Espriella proposed a 'Marshall Plan' for the impoverished Chocó region, devastated by a recent 7.4 magnitude earthquake.
  • The plan aims to rebuild the region, which the president described as abandoned by central government power in Bogotá.
  • The earthquake has caused widespread destruction, with 285 deaths and 379 disappearances reported.

President Abelardo de la Espriella has proposed a "Marshall Plan" for Colombia's Chocó region, one of the country's poorest areas, which was heavily impacted by a recent 7.4 magnitude earthquake. De la Espriella, who took office just a week before the disaster, described Chocó as having been "abandoned to its fate by the centralism of power in Bogotá."

I want to propose a special plan, a 'Marshall Plan' for Chocó. Chocó has been abandoned to its fate by the centralism of power in Bogotá, as if it didn't exist, and I want to give this department of extraordinary people the place it deserves in the 'miracle homeland'.

— Abelardo de la EspriellaThe President of Colombia announced his plan for the Chocó region.

The proposed plan draws parallels to the post-World War II U.S. initiative to aid Western Europe. De la Espriella visited Quibdó, the regional capital, to assess damage, including destroyed homes and buildings, and reported 13 deaths in the area from the quake. The earthquake's epicenter was in San José del Palmar, also in Chocó.

We have to do it together, we have to do it united as a society.

— Abelardo de la EspriellaThe president spoke about the need for unity in the face of the earthquake's tragedy.

Nationwide, the earthquake has resulted in 285 deaths and 379 disappearances. De la Espriella, working up to 20 hours a day, sees the tragedy as an opportunity for Chocó's reconstruction. He emphasized the need for societal unity in overcoming the adversity, stating, "We have to do it together, we have to do it united as a society."

I am working 20 hours a day, that fills my heart, I want to help people. I believe that in the midst of all this tragedy, there is a great opportunity here for Chocó.

— Abelardo de la EspriellaThe president discussed his commitment to the region's recovery.

The president also plans to decentralize the government, potentially establishing presidential offices outside Bogotá. He stressed the importance of rebuilding territories that have been "forgotten and now devastated by nature." Following his visit to Quibdó, he was scheduled to visit other heavily damaged cities, including Pereira and locations in Valle del Cauca.

All these territories that have been forgotten and now devastated by nature, we have to rebuild them, there is a great job ahead.

— Abelardo de la EspriellaThe president outlined the scope of the reconstruction effort.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Diario Libre in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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