BOGOTÁ, Colombia — Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella has appealed to his ally, U.S. President Donald Trump, to temporarily lift tariffs as the South American country struggles to recover from a devastating earthquake that has killed at least 289 people.
De la Espriella was sworn in earlier this month, only days before the 7.4-magnitude earthquake hit. Trump supported him during Colombia’s tightly fought presidential race, which was settled in a June 21 runoff, and the new Colombian leader has repeatedly highlighted his ties to the U.S. president.
In a post on X late Saturday, de la Espriella said he had spoken with Trump and expressed gratitude for U.S. assistance sent after the earthquake. He said he 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.”
The Trump administration has not yet issued an immediate response to the request. The United States has pledged a total of $26.5 million in earthquake relief for Colombia, including food, emergency shelters and medical supplies, according to the U.S. State Department.
Monday morning’s earthquake caused widespread destruction across western Colombia, affecting major cities such as Pereira, Cali and Quibdo. Communities along the country’s Pacific coast suffered especially severe damage. De la Espriella has declared the quake a natural disaster.
Colombia’s government has reported 143 people missing, though some civilian-run databases suggest the number could be in the thousands.
The disaster’s epicenter was in Choco, one of Colombia’s poorest regions. So far, the government says 3,937 people have been injured. The quake also destroyed 14,705 homes and damaged an additional 81,536.
In Cali, Colombia’s third-largest city, rescue crews continued searching for more than 70 people reported missing there. Even though the crucial 48- to 72-hour window for finding survivors trapped beneath rubble has long passed, families and emergency workers have not given up hope.
“Miracles do happen” even though more than 120 hours have passed since the earthquake struck, said Cali Mayor Alejandro Eder from the unified command post. “We are working where we know there are still victims; we are working in the hope of rescuing people alive.”
Copyright © 2026 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
