The quake hit at 7:34 a.m. local time Monday, Aug. 10, centered near the town of San José del Palmar in the western department of Chocó — a finding confirmed by both Colombia's national geological service and the U.S. Geological Survey. He set up a Unified Command Post, first at the national disaster agency's Bogotá headquarters and later expanded with satellite posts in Cali, Armenia and Quibdó, invoking Colombia's 2012 disaster-management law to unlock emergency funding. Cali Locks Down Over Looting FearsCali, Colombia's third-largest city and the site of De la Espriella's own inauguration days earlier, became the emergency's flashpoint. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on X that Washington "stands ready to support the people of Colombia" and De la Espriella's government. Old Rivalries Resurface Even in a National EmergencyThe disaster hasn't paused Colombia's bitter transition dispute.