DistantNews
Support us
Pereira Marks 163rd Anniversary by Honoring Earthquake Victims: Mayor Says, ‘We Will Rise Again, I Swear’
🇨🇴 Colombia /Disasters & Emergencies

Pereira Marks 163rd Anniversary by Honoring Earthquake Victims: Mayor Says, ‘We Will Rise Again, I Swear’

From El Tiempo · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Official statement Ongoing story
  • Pereira marked its 163rd anniversary with a ceremony honoring victims of the Aug. 10 earthquake and calling for the city’s reconstruction.
  • Mayor Mauricio Salazar urged residents, especially young people, to help rebuild, saying the disaster could not destroy Pereira’s civic spirit and courage.
  • Officials reported 331 deaths, 4,497 injuries, 152 missing people and extensive housing damage across 16 Colombian departments.

Pereira’s 163rd birthday became a memorial rather than a conventional celebration, as the city continued mourning an earthquake that struck on Aug. 10. At Plaza Cívica Ciudad Victoria, residents gathered for an anniversary ceremony centered on the victims and the difficult rebuilding effort ahead.

Today our beloved Pereira turns 163, and just twenty days ago the earth shook and upended our lives. But we also saw something that no earthquake can bring down: the heart, civic spirit and courage of the people of Pereira.

— Mauricio SalazarPereira’s mayor spoke at an anniversary ceremony honoring earthquake victims.

Mayor Mauricio Salazar, visibly affected since the emergency began, led the tribute with social manager María Irma Noreña. He placed a floral offering for those who died and called on residents to take part in recovering the city. “Today our beloved Pereira turns 163, and just twenty days ago the earth shook and upended our lives,” Salazar said.

The mayor also framed the reconstruction as a question of civic resilience. “But we also saw something that no earthquake can bring down: the heart, civic spirit and courage of the people of Pereira,” he said. He appealed directly to young people, telling them, “Look at this city: you are responsible for its future.”

Look at this city: you are responsible for its future.

— Mauricio SalazarThe mayor urged young people to take an active role in reconstruction.

For many residents, rebuilding means more than restoring homes, businesses and infrastructure. It also means absorbing the loss of relatives and saying farewell to a city changed by the disaster. The toll presented 20 days after the earthquake stood at 331 dead, 4,497 injured and 152 missing. The emergency affected 452,782 Colombians from 213,400 families across 497 municipalities in 16 departments. Some 35,987 homes were destroyed and another 198,601 damaged.

To those who lost a home, a business or a loved one: you are not alone. Your pain is the pain of all Pereira.

— Mauricio SalazarSalazar addressed residents affected by the earthquake.

Salazar used a line from Pereira’s anthem, which speaks of the “bold effort of the mountain titans,” to express the city’s determination. “To those who lost a home, a business or a loved one: you are not alone. Your pain is the pain of all Pereira,” he said. He added, “With the bold effort of the mountain titans, as our anthem says, we will rise again.”

With the bold effort of the mountain titans, as our anthem says, we will rise again.

— Mauricio SalazarThe mayor invoked Pereira’s anthem while speaking about recovery.
About this summary

Originally published by El Tiempo in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

More Stories

From Our Blog