Spain has expressed its support and solidarity with Colombia following the devastating earthquake that struck the country on Monday, killing at least 132 people and injuring more than 500.
Rescue teams are continuing to search through the rubble of collapsed and damaged buildings for survivors, while Colombian authorities assess the full extent of the destruction caused by the powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez conveyed the ‘affection and solidarity’ of Spain to the Colombian people following what he described as a ‘terrible earthquake’.
In a message posted on X, Sánchez said the thoughts of people in Spain ‘are with the victims, their families, and all the affected people’.
‘Spain is with Colombia in these very difficult moments,’ he added.
Spain’s Foreign Minister, José Manuel Albares, said on Tuesday that 164 Spanish nationals remained unaccounted for following the disaster, although there were currently no reports of any Spaniards having been killed or injured.
Speaking at a press conference in Ceuta after meeting the autonomous city’s president, Juan Jesús Vivas, Albares said Spanish consular services had managed to establish contact with all known Spanish nationals in Colombia apart from those 164 people.
He urged Spaniards currently in Colombia, as well as relatives concerned about family members in the country, to contact the Spanish Embassy or Consulate General to confirm that they were safe.
Albares said he was closely following developments and expressed his support and solidarity with ‘the brotherly people’ of Colombia.
Both the Spanish Embassy in Colombia and the Consulate General in Bogotá have been mobilised to assist Spanish nationals who live in the country or are currently visiting.
The Consulate has advised people to call Colombia’s 123 emergency number when necessary. A dedicated consular emergency number for Spanish citizens has also been activated on +57 316 4733216, while the Consulate can be contacted by email at: cog.bogota@maec.es.
The earthquake struck at around 7.34am local time on Monday — 2.34pm in mainland Spain — as millions of Colombians were beginning their working day.
According to preliminary information from the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the epicentre was around five kilometres east of San José del Palmar, a municipality in the department of Chocó in north-western Colombia. The earthquake occurred at a depth of approximately 107 kilometres.
The tremor was felt across a wide area of the country and beyond Colombia’s borders, including in Venezuela, Ecuador and Panama.
The Colombian government has declared a state of emergency as rescue operations continue, with the authorities concentrating resources on the areas worst affected by the disaster. Risaralda and Valle del Cauca are among the departments reported to have suffered particularly serious damage.
The European Union has activated its Copernicus satellite system to provide imagery of the affected areas and assist emergency and rescue operations. Financial assistance is also being provided through the Red Cross.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has confirmed that the bloc’s consular assistance mechanism has been activated to support European Union citizens caught up in the disaster.
The United States has meanwhile offered an initial $15.5 million — around €13 million — in assistance, including support for emergency shelter, food supplies and protective equipment.
Neighbouring countries have also offered personnel and resources.
Venezuela, which is itself still recovering from two earthquakes that struck in June, has pledged to send rescue teams to Colombia, while Ecuador has offered a specialist contingent of 47 personnel accompanied by trained search dogs. The Ecuadorian team is equipped to operate independently for up to a week.
Rescue operations are continuing as emergency workers race to find anyone still alive beneath collapsed concrete, bricks and other debris, while authorities warn that the scale of the damage is still being established.
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Todo nuestro cariño y solidaridad con el pueblo colombiano tras el terrible terremoto que ha golpeado al país.
— Pedro Sánchez (@sanchezcastejon) August 10, 2026
Nuestro pensamiento está con las víctimas, sus familias y todas las personas afectadas.
España está con Colombia en estos momentos tan difíciles. https://t.co/Wd5CTvCMlP
Sigo la situación en Colombia tras el terrible terremoto. Mi solidaridad con el pueblo hermano de Colombia.
— José Manuel Albares (@jmalbares) August 10, 2026
La @EmbajadaEspCol, @CGEspBogota y unidad de emergencia @MAECgob están movilizados para ayudar a los españoles en el país.
Telf. emergencia: +573164733216; +34 910001249.
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