Colombia’s earthquake has become a race against time—and a test of whether reliable information can keep pace with the destruction. As rescuers search the rubble, officials are also struggling to define the scale of the disaster and defend the response.

The humanitarian picture is severe. The 7.4-magnitude quake has killed at least 273 people, injured more than 3,800 and affected nearly 26,000 families, according to official figures. More than 12,500 homes have been destroyed, while civilian databases estimate that over 4,100 people remain missing—far above the government’s count of nearly 400.¹ The gap underscores how difficult it is to assess damage in remote Chocó, where lost communications, poverty and armed conflict have slowed access.

Rescuers in Cali and Pereira continued working through the final hours of the critical 72-hour window, using cranes, dogs and hand-built bucket brigades. Cali Mayor Alejandro Eder said operations were “entering the final phase,” while volunteers insisted they would continue listening for survivors.² The official search-and-rescue account is echoed by a more limited conservative report, which likewise describes teams continuing their work after the quake.³

The competing emphasis is revealing. Liberal-leaning coverage foregrounds survivors, displaced families and the government’s struggle to reach isolated communities, while the conservative perspective highlights operational continuity and directly challenges false claims about the quake’s origin. A fact-check report identified conspiracy theories blaming the earthquake on an Alaska research program as unfounded.⁴

International support is expanding as the government declares an economic emergency and three days of mourning. The United States has pledged $15.5 million, while the European Union promised $2.3 million.² Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the Trump administration was “closely monitoring” the disaster and stood ready to support Colombia.Secretary Marco Rubio (SecRubio)⁵

Together, the accounts point to a crisis with two urgent fronts: finding those still alive and preventing uncertainty—from conflicting casualty figures to conspiracy theories—from becoming another obstacle to relief.