Colombia earthquake response tests new far-right government

The disaster tests President Abelardo de la Espriella and his government as it scrambles to find survivors and provide aid.Bogota, Colombia – A deadly magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck western Colombia barely 72 hours after far-right leader Abelardo de la Espriella was sworn in as the president.The disaster killed more than 260 people, injured thousands and devastated cities and towns in the first major test of leadership for de la Espriella as his government scrambles to search for survivors and provide aid to the most affected communities.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Search efforts in Colombia enter ‘final phase’ as quake toll reaches 265list 2 of 4Photos: Hope fades in Colombia as teams dig for earthquake survivorslist 3 of 4Colombia declares three days of mourning after deadly earthquakelist 4 of 4Colombia scrambles to find survivors after deadly earthquakeend of listThe 48-year-old leader declared the disaster an “economic emergency” and announced three days of national mourning before touring the worst-affected areas.Colombia has considerable experience responding to natural disasters. Firefighters were the first to reach the affected areas, followed by Civil Defence officials and other emergency services.Meanwhile, humanitarian aid collected in the capital Bogota and other cities was flown to disaster areas, as temporary shelters were put up for people displaced by the tragedy.Less than 24 hours after the earthquake, heavy machinery, cranes and excavators were operating in Cali, Pereira and other affected cities.In smaller, more isolated towns, however, residents were still removing rubble by hand, with many communities without power or basic services.On Tuesday, the government announced temporary relief for families in Risaralda, one of the hardest-hit areas, including subsidies on rent and a three-month suspension of utility payments for the affected residents.But the response has been in part complicated by a failed transition from the outgoing leftist administration of Gustavo Petro.