Colombia's president hands out branded footballs in an earthquake-hit port city
Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella was filmed on Sunday throwing footballs to children on a street in Buenaventura, the country's main Pacific port and one of the places worst affected by the magnitude 7.4 earthquake of August 10. The balls carried the logo of Defensores de la Patria, the political movement that brought him to the presidency eleven days ago.
Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella distributed branded footballs to children in Buenaventura, a Pacific port city devastated by the magnitude 7.4 earthquake that struck on August 10. The footballs carried the logo of the political movement that brought him to power. The gesture, filmed and shared widely on social media, drew criticism from regional political figures and community leaders.
The president had announced the reopening of the hospital ship Benkos Biohó and the dispatch of medical aid, as over 10,000 homes were damaged, 400 people injured, and 27 fatalities resulted from the earthquake. The local hospital system is overwhelmed. The criticism suggests that the focus on footballs overshadowed the importance of addressing the city's needs.
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