The devastation has tested Colombia's new president and his government as it scrambles to respond to the disaster and civil society as it pushes to provide aid to the most affected communities.

Colombia's newly inaugurated President Abelardo de la Espriella has declared a state of emergency.

News outlets air footage of some buildings with their facades ripped off by the quake.

Residents and emergency personnel dig through the debris of a partially collapsed building after an earthquake, in Pereira, Colombia August 10, 2026. [Photo/Agencies]