Colombia declares state of emergency after devastating earthquake
The president of Colombia, Abelardo de la Espriella, has made official this Wednesday the declaration of a state of economic, social, and ecological emergency. This measure responds directly to the serious consequences derived from the 7.4 magnitude earthquake that shook the central-western area of the nation on August 10th.
The decision, formalized through a decree issued by the Administrative Department of the Presidency of the Republic (Dapre), seeks to establish a legal framework that allows for more agile management of victim assistance and recovery efforts in the affected areas.
Scope of the government measure
The economic emergency will have an initial duration of thirty days and covers fifteen departments of the country. The primary objective of this provision is to curb the negative impact of the catastrophe and prevent the damage from spreading, thus facilitating the channeling of both national and international resources.
The measure seeks to avert the crisis and prevent the extension of the disaster’s effects, allowing for the revitalization of the country’s reconstruction following the earthquake, considered the most serious recorded in Colombia so far this century.
According to the most recent reports provided by the De la Espriella administration, the official death toll from the earthquake has been adjusted to 289 people. The Government continues to work on rescue efforts and the assessment of structural damage in the impacted regions.
