Colombia grapples with massive reconstruction and political controversy one month after 7.4 quake

One month after the 7.4-magnitude quake that caused more than 300 deaths and injured 4,500, Colombia is confronting a reconstruction bill exceeding 30 trillion pesos, about 1.5% of GDP, and projected to last up to five years. President Abelardo de la Espriella, in office for only three days at the time of the disaster, has emphasized a private-sector-driven "Marshall Plan" and declared an economic emergency to channel funds through a yet-to-be-formalized Fondo Milagro.

He recently visited Chocó with wealthy donors and announced a 1 billion-peso infrastructure package for roads and an airport. Critics point to uneven aid delivery, especially in rural Chocó, and to controversial decisions such as restricting foreign rescuers to three countries and a housing minister's leisure trip shortly after taking office. Human stories, including the tragic deaths of siblings and children, underscore the social impact, while the Ministry of Education reports that half a million students have lost schooling access.