Free hugs ease heartache in Colombia’s quake zone

Amidst the rubble and despair following a powerful 7.4 magnitude earthquake in Colombia, one musician is offering a simple yet profound form of comfort: free hugs.

Andres Solomon, a 46-year-old musician in Cali, one of the hardest-hit cities, has set up under a tree with a cardboard sign that reads “HUGS HERE.” He spends his days providing emotional support to survivors whose lives have been upended by the disaster.

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We are going through a collective trauma, and I think the best way I could help was by giving away the energy I have and the vitality I have left.

"We are going through a collective trauma, and I think the best way I could help was by giving away the energy I have and the vitality I have left," Solomon told AFP. He believes that listening, embracing, and helping people release their pain are vital components of recovery, complementing the essential medical aid, food, and shelter being provided.

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Listening to people, embracing them, feeling with them and also inviting them to release all the pain.

Many volunteers and survivors have embraced Solomon's initiative. Lyda Arias, president of the Evangelical Confederation of Colombia, expressed how the visible pain of survivors deeply affects her, especially as the 72-hour window for finding those potentially trapped alive nears its end. Rescuers, healthcare workers, and officials have also sought solace in his service, finding it a necessary "release" from the emotional burden.

"Everyone is holding things in because they think they have to feel strong in order to be able to help," Solomon explained. "It’s important to let go, to release all this pain we’re feeling right now." Law student Oriana Ordonez, 21, noted that her peers are struggling, many having lost their homes and putting on a brave face despite their deep sadness.

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Seeing this pain reaches me to my very core, imagining that people are still buried alive.

The devastating earthquake has claimed at least 273 lives, injured thousands, and left hundreds missing, underscoring the immense scale of the tragedy and the widespread need for emotional healing.

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It’s a release. Everyone is holding things in because they think they have to feel strong in order to be able to help.