President announces aid for earthquake victims in Cali

President Abelardo de la Espriella has pledged continued support for families devastated by the magnitude 7.4 earthquake that struck Colombia on August 10, assuring them they are not alone. Speaking in Cali, the city most severely impacted, the president emphasized that aid would reach victims directly, without intermediaries, and warned against using the tragedy for political gain.

De la Espriella began his visit to Cali with a memorial mass for the 154 victims in the city. He subsequently provided local authorities with heavy machinery, construction materials, and outlined measures for the city's reconstruction. The aid package includes a rental subsidy of 1,050,000 pesos (approximately $327) per month for three months, extendable for another three, for families registered and meeting criteria within the Unique Registry of Emergency Families (RUFE).

Families whose homes were destroyed or deemed uninhabitable will receive direct financial assistance. Properties that sustained damage but remain habitable will be provided with material kits for necessary repairs. To support these efforts, the government has launched a construction materials bank and technical teams in Valle del Cauca, Cali's department, to assess housing conditions.

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To the victims I want to tell them that they are not alone, we are going to continue helping them. The money will go directly to the affected people, there are no intermediaries here, no scales. A tragedy of this magnitude cannot become an opportunity to play politics or to achieve benefits.

Further assistance includes 20 construction vouchers and the donation of four fully furnished apartments by the Marval construction company to families who lost their homes. Among the recipients is Diana Troncoso, who survived after being trapped under debris for 29 hours. The earthquake, as of August 10, had claimed 331 lives and injured 4,449 nationwide, according to the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management.

Cali Mayor Alejandro Éder stated that the city is entering a new phase of recovery, acknowledging it will be a long-term process, potentially lasting at least three years. Authorities have received reports of approximately 12,000 affected buildings, with about 1,200 inspected and over 600 evacuated as a precaution. Éder highlighted the profound loss for families, who not only lost loved ones but also their life savings, vowing that they would not be left alone.

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Families who lost not only a father, a son, an uncle, a grandfather, also lost the savings of a lifetime of work. Today we cannot leave these families alone.