Colombia Senator Questions his Government’s Refusal to Accept International Aid

On Wednesday, Senator Alejandro Ocampo of Colombia’s Historic Pact party criticized the Colombian government, led by President Abelardo De la Espriella, for its refusal to accept international aid to address the tragedy caused by the recent earthquake. Ocampo maintained that the lives of Colombians cannot be gambled with and that external collaboration cannot be refused at this critical time.

The congressperson asserted that restricting external assistance jeopardizes lives and illustrated this point by presenting communications from Ecuadorian firefighters indicating that the Colombian government stated that it did not require international aid. “Why reject international help when there are people trapped under the rubble?” the senator asked.

Ocampo rejected the notion of accepting aid only from specific countries like the United States or Chile, which he described as an act of arrogance and vanity that prioritizes friendship and ideology over human life. He also condemned the president’s delay in arriving in Cali to take charge of the crisis at a time when citizens were already removing rubble with buckets to save lives.

In the hours following the powerful earthquake, the governments of China, Brazil, and Mexico offered rescue assistance. Venezuela, devastated by the double earthquake of June 24, offered specialized support twice, on Monday and Tuesday, in the form of the Simón Bolívar International Brigade.

Rescuers from El Salvador were also preparing to travel, but the Nayib Bukele administration officially announced that De la Espriella “has requested humanitarian assistance exclusively in the form of supplies to help the families affected by the earthquake.” Therefore, they would be sending two flights with humanitarian aid but not rescuers, medical personnel, or other specialists in emergencies of this magnitude.

Legislator Ocampo rejected the arguments of the presidency, claiming in response that they were operating “with their bare hands” due to legal limitations and delays in appointing officials.

According to Ocampo, this administrative disarray and lack of understanding of the nation’s real problems stem from the government’s failure to conduct a proper transition process after winning the elections.

Finally, the senator called for humility, requesting that if the president is unable to govern the country without his ideological biases, he should resign immediately to avoid leading Colombia into an even greater abyss.

In the face of the crisis, Ocampo highlighted the solidarity shown by residents of Bogotá, Pereira, Chocó, and the rest of the country, while also requesting the support of specialized groups and the full force of the nation to provide ongoing assistance to families facing losses.

The emergency caused by the 7.4 magnitude earthquake has so far resulted in 190 deaths, 1,679 injuries, and 222 missing persons, according to the most recent report from the Colombian Association of Capital Cities.

That agency, Asocapitales, reported that the deaths are concentrated in Cali (95), Pereira (81), Quibdó (9), and Manizales (5), while the number of injured people has risen to 999 in Cali, 278 in Pereira, 174 in Armenia, 116 in Quibdó, and 112 in Manizales.

Regarding the missing, 180 are from Cali, 37 from Pereira, and 5 from Quibdó. The report from the organization, which is part of the Extraordinary Committee for Disaster Management, also counts 243 collapsed structures as rescue teams continue their operations.