Earthquake in Colombia: Controversial decisions by President Abelardo de la Espriella

The president of Colombia, Abelardo de la Espriella, has made two controversial decisions in the midst of the post-earthquake crisis that has affected the southwestern part of the country. First, he authorized the presence of US troops to carry out maneuvers against narcoterrorism, an announcement made by the US Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, rather than by the Colombian government itself. Second, it allowed the entry of Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers under the pretext of a “humanitarian mission” for post-earthquake rescue, even though the Israeli army has been accused of genocide against the Palestinian people.

These decisions have drawn criticism for violating the Colombian Constitution, which states that Congress must authorize any presence of foreign troops. The leader of the Israeli rescuers, Roni Kaplan, highlighted the role of their mission, but their presence in Cali, a city with a strong leftist presence, has generated suspicions.

The earthquake has left 294 dead, 3,935 injured, and 320 missing, with 54,008 families affected and 115,461 people affected. The debris removal stage has begun in the most affected areas.