Pope Leo XIV today expressed his solidarity with the president of Colombia, Abelardo de la Espriella, in a telephone conversation about the consequences of the recent earthquake that struck the country. A statement from the Holy See reports that the pontiff expressed his closeness to all those bearing the "harsh consequences" of the tremor, dedicating particular attention to the families of the deceased, the wounded, rescue teams and humanitarian personnel.
The dialogue between the two heads of state also served to analyze the national situation and the scenario in the regions affected by the earthquake. The newly inaugurated Colombian government had already decreed a state of economic emergency to mitigate an estimated loss of 0.27 percentage points in Gross Domestic Product growth.
The tremor recorded on August 10 caused 314 deaths, leaving hundreds of people missing under the rubble and thousands injured. The natural catastrophe caused the complete collapse of nearly 600 buildings and left more than 150,000 homes damaged, directly affecting approximately 54,000 citizens.
The damage extended to at least seven airports and severely impacted twelve of the fifteen historic districts of the Coffee Cultural Landscape, a UNESCO-protected area. The state financial support plan provides for monthly subsidies of approximately 875,000 pesos for displaced families to boost reconstruction.
