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Quake Spurs Relief
A 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck Colombia on Monday, prompting rescue crews to search through rubble as the death toll rose past 200 people, according to News Channel 5 Nashville.
“A 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck Colombia on Monday. Rescue crews are still searching through rubble as the death toll rises past 200 people.”
In South Florida, volunteers with Doral-based Global Empowerment Mission (GEM) worked to sort supplies before sending aid to victims, with volunteer Juan Caicedo saying, "We're out here helping Colombia, especially Cali. That's our city,".
About AmazonGEM volunteer Carlos Jara was the first to drop off goods on Wednesday morning, and GEM’s Francine De La Rosa said, "We want to buy supplies and goods in Colombia so that we can get them to the hands of the victims more quickly and more efficiently,".
In Portland, Aura Matta, owner of Matta Café in the Pearl District, said the quake left more than 200 people dead and that the numbers were "still climbing by the minute," as her fundraiser planned donations to the Red Cross in Colombia.
Local Businesses Donate
In Nashville, Alma Viva Café owners Sarah Gallego and her brother said they were donating a portion of this week’s sales to help families affected by the Colombia earthquake, with the café having been open only 12 days.
Gallego said, "So that's how we decided this week to donate 5% of our sales... for the all the communities and families that are affected by this earthquake," and she encouraged the community to visit the café and spread the word.
Matta Café in Portland said it would donate 10% of sales this week to the Red Cross in Colombia, with the money going toward emergency aid such as health resources, access to drinking water, and support in rescue missions.
The Portland fundraiser was set to last through Sunday, August 16, 2026, while Alma Viva Café said it would donate 5% of all sales through Sunday to earthquake relief efforts in Colombia.
Aid, Missing, and Aftershocks
In Colombia, the quake’s impact included reports of more than 3,000 people missing and damage across the country, with Fox News citing that around 1,600 buildings had been reported damaged or collapsed.
“Around 1,600 buildings across Colombia have been reported damaged or collapsed, and more than 3,000 people are missing, the AP reported.”
Fox News also reported that President Abelardo De la Espriella traveled to Chocó’s capital, Quibdó, on Monday night and announced he was mobilizing "the entire military and police apparatus" to respond, deploying engineers, rescue workers and search dogs.
In Paraguay, the MERCOSUR Parliament’s Steering Board, chaired by Paraguayan deputy Rodrigo Gamarra, said it extended condolences and support in a communiqué, stating, "In these circumstances, we extend our condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims".
The same MERCOSUR-linked coverage said the earthquake was magnitude 7.4 and that the Colombian Geological Service reported 47 aftershocks, with a maximum magnitude of 4.8, while the main quake shook western Colombia on Monday, August 10 at 7:34 a.m.
