President Abelardo de la Espriella Signs 11 Decrees to Address Earthquake Recovery

President Abelardo de la Espriella signed 11 decrees on September 9, 2026, to accelerate reconstruction efforts following a magnitude 7.4 earthquake that struck central and western Colombia one month prior. The measures, issued under a state of economic emergency, aim to mobilize resources and provide financial flexibility to affected regions. A central component of the package is the creation of the Fondo Milagro, a fund managed by the Ministry of Finance to centralize public and private resources for reconstruction. Other financial measures include the use of the National Fund for Infrastructure Development (Fondes) to repair electrical infrastructure and the expansion of the Obras por Impuestos mechanism, allowing private companies to fund infrastructure projects in affected municipalities in exchange for tax credits.

The decrees provide significant administrative and financial relief to local governments. Mayors and governors may now access credits with more flexible requirements, reorient specific revenues, and use surpluses from the National Pension Fund of Territorial Entities (Fonpet) and the health sector to repair public hospitals. In the education sector, the government authorized 47 certified territorial entities to conduct classes in alternative safe spaces and temporarily suspended certain enrollment audit results in the SIMAT system. Additionally, the Dane is permitted to share individual data with public entities for emergency purposes, provided the information remains confidential.

Reporting on these measures varies by political lean. Center leaning coverage notes that the government is moving slower by decree than the president promised during his campaign. Center left reporting focuses heavily on the humanitarian impact on education, highlighting that over 1.1 million children have had their right to education disrupted. Center right reporting emphasizes the technical financial mechanisms and the fiscal justification for allowing resource transfers between jurisdictions. Meanwhile, some center reporting contrasts the president's grand promises of interoceanic canals and new roads in Chocó with the reality of displaced persons still waiting for basic machinery to clear ruins.