"The Person I Was Helping Is No Longer Here": Colombians Abroad Face Anguish After Earthquake

Rescuers call for silence in the search for survivors amid the rubble of a collapsed building after an earthquake in Pereira, Colombia on August 12, 2026. Rescuers, soldiers and volunteers searched through collapsed apartment blocks and office buildings across western Colombia, racing to find survivors after the country's strongest earthquake in a century killed at least 239 people and left many more homeless on August 10, 2026. The 7.4-magnitude quake injured more than 1,670 people, according to a tally by municipal authorities. (Credit: Photo by Luis ACOSTA / AFP via Getty Images)

On Aug. 10, a 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia, tearing buildings and communities apart. More than 48 hours after the tragic event, the Colombian government has confirmed at least 265 people have died and nearly 500 remain missing, although civilian-run databases put that number much higher, at more than 4,100.

The earthquake did not only affect those in cities such as Cali, Pereira and Manizales, but also reached the Colombian diaspora around the globe. Although they were not physically there, many Colombians have suffered the emotional toll of the earthquake from afar.