Colombia’s Far Right Sees an Earthquake as an Opportunity

At home, de la Espriella’s colossal ego dominated the initial response to the disaster, with the newly inaugurated president waving and blowing kisses to the audience just before announcing the death toll and damage caused by the earthquake.

Ironically, because de la Espriella abstained from conducting a formal transition of power for the first time in the country’s recent democratic history, the director of the Colombian disaster agency, Javier Pava, was still a leftist appointed by outgoing President Petro. Pava and his team had to deal with the uncomfortable task of handling the initial response and dispatching government workers to the site of the disaster in cooperation with a hostile administration.

In the midst of the crisis, de la Espriella also began bombing National Liberation Army encampments in the Catatumbo region on the other side of the country, reportedly causing civilian casualties and damage to infrastructure in the region. The bombing was criticized by various members of the opposition for disproportionate use of force and violations of international humanitarian law while the country was immersed in a humanitarian crisis. The bombing also occurred in parallel with an announcement from the United States Secretary of War Pete Hegseth that US troops would be involved in future military operations on Colombian soil.

Welcome to the new way of war, which really isn't so new....