Pope Leo XIV spoke on the phone with Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella to express solidarity after the August 10 earthquake, which caused 314 deaths, hundreds of missing persons and thousands of injured. The pontiff expressed closeness to the families of the victims, the wounded, rescue teams and humanitarian personnel, dedicating particular attention to the consequences of the tremor. The quake destroyed nearly 600 buildings, damaged more than 150,000 homes — affecting approximately 54,000 citizens — and severely impacted twelve of the fifteen historic districts of the Coffee Cultural Landscape, a UNESCO heritage site. The Colombian government decreed a state of economic emergency to mitigate the economic impact estimated at 0.27 percentage points in GDP, providing monthly subsidies of 875,000 pesos for displaced families.
Agência ECCLESIA02/09/26, 17:25
