Colombia Restricts Foreign Rescue Teams as Critical Window to Find Earthquake Survivors Nears End

Colombia has begun receiving international aid and rescuers after initially refusing some offers in the crucial hours following Monday’s devastating earthquake. The delay is considered the first controversy of the country’s new government, led by conservative President Abelardo de la Espriella, who took office on Friday.

News of the holdup comes as the clock nears the end of the critical 72-hour window for rescuing survivors under the rubble of collapsed buildings, after which rescuers warn that the possibility of finding anyone alive drops dramatically.

Leaders across the Americas had offered support right after the 7.4 magnitude quake struck this week – just as they had done with Venezuela when it was hit by two powerful tremors in June. The difference is that Venezuela immediately received dozens of international rescue groups without question, while Colombia either turned some of them down or limited how they would help.

Political scientist Sandra Borda argued that the difficulties in aid management are related to the tense political transition between the current and previous administrations, which lacked a formal handover. Notably, it was only on Wednesday that David Tamayo Roldán was appointed director of the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management, the agency responsible for Colombia’s disaster preparedness and response.

“Without a transition and with that kind of personnel change, it was perfectly normal for these short circuits to occur,” said Borda, a professor at Universidad de los Andes.

The outlook on Tuesday was uncertain as multiple countries and organizations, including the UN, said they had not received a request for aid from Colombian authorities. “If that happens, the United Nations system and humanitarian actors are prepared to provide all the support we can,” said Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Mexico, which had prepared tons of supplies and a contingent of 255 military personnel, also stated it had not received a request from Colombia and that the deployment depended on it. Meanwhile, Chinese ambassador to Colombia Zhu Jingyang “urgently” asked Colombia to establish an official channel to coordinate international assistance.

As the hours passed, coordination finally began. Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele announced Tuesday afternoon that he was sending humanitarian aid to Colombia but noted that de la Espriella’s government requested aid “only in the form of supplies” for those affected. However, Peru confirmed Wednesday that it will dispatch volunteers to support search and rescue efforts.

The new head of disaster management also said Wednesday that the government has requested rescue teams from only four countries – the US, El Salvador, Ecuador and Israel – because, in Colombia’s view, their rescue teams have the required international and national certifications. Foreign Minister Omar Bula insisted that the country has “not excluded absolutely any country in terms of the offers that have been made to us.”

The US confirmed Wednesday that it had mobilized search and rescue teams from Virginia and California to Colombia after receiving a request from its government.

Borda commented that the new government showed “a deep distrust of some parts of the international community,” while the Topos Tlatelolco Rescue Brigade said Colombian authorities would not allow the entry of external groups because national rescuers are handling the work. Meanwhile, in Pereira, the foreign ministry celebrated the arrival of 19.5 tons of aid from Mexico, and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed her government had coordinated with its Colombian counterparts.