Colombia: De la Espriella's test of probation after barely 60 hours in office
The right-wing president of Colombia has just taken office and is already having to deal with the aftermath of a major earthquake. In doing so, he is dependent on officials from the discredited predecessor.
Mexico City was basking in the early morning sun at 7:35 AM on Monday morning as Cali, Colombia's bustling metropolis and the Pichincha Battalion's barracks came to life. Dozens of recruits were practicing their exercises when suddenly the ground began to tremble. The soldiers froze, trying to maintain their balance, as if they were riding a surfboard.
Debris fell from the roofs, as seen in a video. The quake lasted for four minutes, causing widespread damage across western and northwest Colombia. It was the strongest earthquake to strike the country since 1979, registering 7.4 on the Richter scale.
By Monday evening, the devastating earthquake had claimed at least 130 lives and left 500 injured. Around 2000 people were presumed dead, primarily in the Colombian coffee region and in Cali. The natural disaster presented a significant challenge for the country's new leader, Abelardo de la Espriella, who had no prior experience in politics or administration.
Written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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