Latin America and the Caribbean beat with popular solidarity and dignity
STATEMENT FROM THE CLACSO STEERING COMMITTEE
IN THE EVENT OF THE EARTHQUAKE OF AUGUST 10, 2026 IN COLOMBIA
The Latin American Council of Social Sciences (CLACSO) expresses its solidarity with the Colombian people following the devastating earthquake that struck on Monday, August 10, at 7:34 a.m. According to official reports, the most affected capital cities were Quibdó, Cali, Manizales, Pereira, and Armenia, in addition to municipalities in the departments of Chocó, Valle del Cauca, Caldas, and Risaralda. Multiple buildings collapsed, resulting in over 100 deaths and hundreds of injuries, with ongoing reports of people trapped in the rubble and others still missing.
The Colombian Pacific region is a place burdened by historical injustices and profound inequalities, which are once again evident due to the magnitude of the damage, the State's inability to respond, and the lack of media attention. We acknowledge the efforts made in the last four years to address the needs of these territories, but today we call upon the Colombian State to develop a comprehensive public policy that improves the living conditions of all Pacific communities, enabling them to live with dignity.
The solidarity of nations in the face of such a tragedy has once again been activated as the highest expression of fraternity and popular compassion. Thousands of people continue to collaborate in search and rescue efforts. There have also been gestures of solidarity from colleagues throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, encouraging Colombians to persevere through these difficult times, just as was demonstrated in the face of the profound tragedy experienced by Venezuelans. Latin America and the Caribbean resonate with a popular spirit of solidarity and dignity.
The Colombian centers that are members of CLACSO also express their solidarity with the institutions and universities that suffered significant damage to their infrastructure, and we offer our network to support, from our academic perspective, the reconstruction of community structures, especially in those areas that have been most affected.
CLACSO Steering Committee
August 11th, 2026
Source: Colombian Geological Survey – https://www.sgc.gov.co/
