Colombia Declares Economic Emergency Following Earthquake
Colombia’s President Abelardo de la Espriela announced a state of economic emergency on Wednesday, aiming to expedite the country’s recovery from a severe earthquake that struck earlier this week.
This declaration, allowed under Colombia’s constitution, grants the president special powers to issue specific decrees in response to the ongoing earthquake crisis.
The nation is still grappling with the aftermath of a magnitude 7.4 earthquake that occurred on Monday morning. Addressing the nation Wednesday night alongside First Lady Ana Lucía Pineda, President de la Espriela revealed that, according to Colombian authorities, the earthquake has impacted over 25,000 households and affected around 54,000 individuals. Sadly, at least 265 fatalities have been confirmed, with nearly 3,500 people injured.
Moreover, the number of individuals reported missing has risen to 496, and the president emphasized that search and rescue efforts are ongoing, focusing on finding everyone unaccounted for.
He elaborated that the earthquake has resulted in the destruction of 11,347 homes and damage to another 53,526. In addition, it has obliterated 140 buildings and harmed 1,819 educational institutions, along with 631 community and 179 medical facilities. Numerous other structures, public roads, aqueducts, and five airports also experienced severe damage.
Taking office just last week, President de la Espriela stated that this natural disaster has come during what he described as the country’s most significant fiscal crisis, marked by substantial debt and restricted public resources.
In light of the earthquake’s catastrophic consequences, he announced plans to utilize the constitutional powers at his disposal to enforce this economic emergency, aimed at assisting with recovery efforts.
As part of this initiative, he proposed the establishment of a “Miracle Fund,” which would oversee both domestic and international donations to facilitate the rebuilding of hospitals, schools, roads, and airports impacted by the earthquake.
Additionally, he mentioned the administration is contemplating a variety of temporary relief measures, which, while being “temporary,” would provide significant aid to affected Colombians. Potential measures include exceptions to utility bills for impacted households, rental assistance for those who have lost their homes, tax relief options, and economic support for families and small businesses.
The president remarked that the emergency declaration aims to introduce recovery strategies, easing investment procedures, removing barriers for project development, and generating more jobs in the hardest-hit areas.
“Declaring this state of emergency sends a clear message: the government is committed to prioritizing the needs of victims and to rebuilding the affected regions,” he stated. “Our hearts are with the victims. You are not alone; we are here to support you.”
According to Article 215 of Colombia’s constitution, the president possesses the authority to declare an economic emergency in response to natural disasters or significant crises. Once enacted, the president can swiftly issue temporary decrees to tackle specific emergency-related issues, subject to future oversight from Colombian Congress and the Constitutional Court. Each emergency lasts up to 30 days, and may extend to a total of 90 days yearly.
As reported by infobae, this legal framework has already been utilized for 30 days earlier this year to address flooding emergencies. In light of prior declarations, experts like Lorena Gutiérrez, dean at San Buenaventura University, noted that the current government’s window for emergency declaration this year is capped at 60 days.
Gutiérrez suggested that prioritization is crucial: “Thirty days should suffice for immediate responses and financing, but standard budget and legislation must guide the reconstruction efforts afterwards.”
Recent reports indicate that cities like Cali, Pereira, Quindío, Manizales, and Armenia were the most severely impacted by the earthquake, with the highest number of deaths occurring in Cali and Pereira. As of Thursday morning, over 335 individuals had been rescued since Monday’s earthquake.
