Disasters & Incidents
Colombia quake aid row: government denies bias
Colombia's government denied Wednesday that it had rejected earthquake assistance on ideological grounds after criticism over which foreign rescue teams it allowed into the response to a magnitude 7.4 quake that has killed at least 239 people.
The government of President Abelardo de la Espriella, who took office last Friday, had officially accepted rescue teams from Ecuador, El Salvador, the United States and Israel.
Foreign Minister Omar Bula said Colombia was coordinating offers of humanitarian aid and had not excluded any country. He said El Salvador had offered 100 tonnes of aid and that another flight from Mexico carrying 58.5 tonnes was headed to the hardest-hit areas.
The issue also involved some Mexican rescuers known as “topos”, or moles, who had been prevented from working.
David Tamayo, head of Colombia's disaster relief agency, said the decision was about qualifications and self-sufficiency. He said Colombia would accept support only from countries able to provide search-and-rescue teams recognised by international systems and their own governments as qualified.
Tamayo said those teams would bring their own equipment, food and supplies and would not require extra resources from local authorities. He also said Colombia's own trained search-and-rescue teams were not yet overwhelmed.
Hector Mendez, the 80-year-old president of Topos Azteca, told AFP that 60 of his colleagues were in Colombia. He urged authorities to let them work, saying many people wanted to help rescue those trapped.
“If we start trying to politicize this, then we're on the wrong track,” Mendez said.
The national disaster management agency has said the quake left at least 3,700 families homeless. The government declared three days of mourning on Wednesday, and emergency crews have been working in the country's west as officials described the search for survivors as entering its final phase.
Update
Hector Mendez, president of Topos Azteca, said 60 of his colleagues were in Colombia and pleaded for authorities to allow them to work.
Foreign Minister Omar Bula said a Mexican flight carrying 58.5 tonnes of aid was headed to the hardest-hit areas.
David Tamayo said Colombia's own trained search-and-rescue teams were not yet overwhelmed.
Source note: AFP news report published on 12 August 2026 at 20:51:45 UTC.
Update
Colombia's government denied rejecting earthquake assistance on ideological grounds.
The government had officially accepted rescue teams from Ecuador, El Salvador, the United States and Israel.
Foreign Minister Omar Bula said Colombia had not excluded any country and was coordinating humanitarian aid offers.
Bula said El Salvador had offered 100 tonnes of aid and Mexico had sent 58.5 tonnes toward the hardest-hit areas.
Disaster relief agency head David Tamayo said Colombia would accept only qualified, self-sufficient search-and-rescue teams recognized by international and national systems.
Tamayo said Colombia's own search-and-rescue teams were not yet overwhelmed.
Source note: AFP news report published on 12 August 2026 at 18:38:01 UTC.
Update
The earthquake death toll is now 239.
The national disaster management agency said at least 3,700 families were left homeless.
Officials said rescuers were entering the final phase of the first 72 hours, when survivors are most likely to be found alive under rubble.
Survivors spent a second night outdoors in affected areas.
Source note: AFP news report published on 12 August 2026 at 17:00:40 UTC.
Update
Authorities revised the death toll down to 216 after local officials in Cali corrected earlier figures.
Rescue searches continued in Pereira and Cali using cranes, dogs, heavy machinery and volunteers.
A survivor, Daniela Largo, was pulled from rubble on Tuesday.
Part of the Hospital Universitario del Valle in Cali collapsed, forcing doctors to move patients into a parking lot.
President Abelardo de la Espriella declared a state of emergency and promised rent subsidies for affected families.
The United States announced $15.5 million in emergency aid.
Source note: AFP news report published on 12 August 2026 at 12:54:12 UTC.
Update
The quake killed more than 200 people.
The quake had a magnitude of 7.4.
The quake struck on Monday in western Colombia and demolished buildings.
It was described as the strongest quake to hit Colombia in a century.
Source note: AFP news report published on 12 August 2026 at 12:30:05 UTC.
Uncertainty notes
The full death toll may change because the figure is given as at least 239.
It remains disputed whether political considerations affected which rescue teams were accepted.
It is unclear whether the blocked Mexican rescuers will be allowed to join operations.
Source
AFP news report published on .