A devastating earthquake of magnitude 7.4 shook Colombian territory at 7:34 AM on Monday, August 10, 2026. In light of the tragedy's magnitude, the response from the government of Donald Trump was swift. The Secretary of State of the United States, Marco Rubio, announced that the Administration is “closely monitoring the strong earthquake that shook Colombia and is ready to support the Colombian people and the Administration of President Abelardo De la Espriella”.
Rubio emphasized the total American willingness, declaring on his official X account: “The Trump Administration is closely monitoring the major earthquake that struck Colombia and is ready to support the people of Colombia and the Administration of President Abelardo de la Espriella”.
In line with this international backing, U.S. Senator Bernie Moreno publicly praised the crisis management, highlighting the “Excellent leadership by President Abelardo de la Espriella. The United States is ready to help our great ally”.
Additionally, the U.S. Embassy in Colombia issued preventive alerts urging American citizens to enroll in the STEP program.
This historic earthquake, classified by the director general of the Colombian Geological Service (SGC), Julio Fierro Morales, as “the strongest earthquake felt in the last decade in the country”, had its epicenter in the municipality of San José del Palmar, in the department of Chocó.
The depth of this main seismic event was recorded at 96 kilometers by the SGC (although other initial official reports from the press placed it at 107 kilometers and the SGC at 88 kilometers). This natural phenomenon evokes the historical precedent of November 23, 1979, when the same area experienced an earthquake of magnitude 7.2.
On the internal front, President Abelardo de la Espriella immediately took on the direct coordination of the official state response, demonstrating an unwavering determination to protect the nation.
From the National Crisis Room of the Ungrd (National Unit for Disaster Risk Management), the president led a strategic meeting with the director of the entity, Javier Pava, and the Minister of the Interior, Rodrigo Lara, to assess the damage and plan the deployment of immediate aid to the hardest-hit areas.
