Colombia’s President Requests U.S. Tariff Suspension Following Earthquake

Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella, an ally of Donald Trump, has reached out to the United States for assistance in the wake of a devastating 7.4 magnitude earthquake that has claimed at least 289 lives in Colombia.

“I just spoke for ten minutes with President Donald Trump. I deeply thanked him for all the economic aid and the support of the United States rescue teams in the face of the tragedy we are experiencing,” De la Espriella shared in a post Saturday night. He added that Trump expressed condolences for the earthquake victims and support for the affected families in Colombia.

In response to the disaster, the U.S. Department of State has deployed specialized urban search and rescue teams to Colombia. Additionally, it has allocated $26.5 million in humanitarian aid for food, health, and shelter needs, while U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) is assisting with the transport of supplies.

“I told him that we have a huge challenge ahead: rebuilding Colombia amid the extremely difficult and apocalyptic economic situation that I inherited,” De La Espriella remarked. “I also asked him to consider the temporary suspension of the high tariffs that affect Colombian products, in order to provide relief to our businesspeople, who are facing very difficult times due to the effects of the earthquake.”

He noted that the conversation was amicable, with Trump expressing his warmth towards Colombia and its citizens. De la Espriella emphasized the importance of the U.S.-Colombia alliance in the nation’s recovery efforts.

The earthquake predominantly affected areas in western Colombia, including Pereira, Cali, and Quibdo, with its epicenter located in the impoverished Chocó region.

Reports indicate that 143 individuals are unaccounted for, while various independent sources believe the figure could be in the thousands. Specifically, over 70 people are missing in Cali, which ranks as Colombia’s third-largest city.

The government reports that the quake has resulted in the destruction of 14,705 homes, damaged more than 81,536 others, and left nearly 4,000 people injured.

“Miracles do happen,” said Cali Mayor Alejandro Eder regarding the ongoing rescue efforts, expressing hope despite the challenges faced as time passes. “We are working where we know there are still victims; we are working in the hope of rescuing people alive.”

Prior to the earthquake, President Trump endorsed De La Espriella in his tight presidential runoff election against Iván Cepeda Castro, in which he won by less than 1%. Trump later congratulated him on his victory, expressing eagerness to strengthen U.S.-Colombia relations.