Colombian President Asks Trump for Tariff Suspension After Devastating Earthquake

Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella said on Aug. 15 that he had asked President Donald Trump to suspend tariffs as his nation recovers from a recent earthquake that left more than 280 people dead.

De la Espriella said in a post on X that he spoke with Trump for 10 minutes, during which Trump expressed his condolences to the earthquake victims and his solidarity with those affected. The newly elected Colombian president described the talk with Trump as “friendly and cordial.”

“I deeply thanked him for all the economic aid and the support of the United States rescue teams in the face of the tragedy we are expecting,” the Colombian president wrote.

De la Espriella said he asked Trump to consider temporarily suspending tariffs on Colombian imports to provide relief to businesses in Colombia affected by the earthquake.

“I told him that we have a huge challenge ahead: rebuilding Colombia amid the extremely difficult and apocalyptic economic situation that I inherited,” he said.

“Today, more than ever, the alliance between Colombia and the United States is an imperative for the reconstruction of our beloved nation.”

The White House has not yet released an official statement about the talks. The Epoch Times reached out to the White House for comment but did not receive a response by publication time.

Trump imposed tariffs ranging from 10 percent to 12.5 percent on imports from 60 trading partners in July over their alleged failure to prevent the use of forced labor. Colombia was among the countries facing a 12.5 percent tariff.

A 7-4-magnitude earthquake struck Colombia on Aug. 10, just three days after De la Espriella took office, causing widespread damage in cities including Cali, Pereira, and Manizales. The quake’s epicenter was San Jose del Palmar, Choco.

The death toll from the quake had risen to 287 as of Aug. 16, according to the country’s National Unit for Disaster Risk Management. About 4,147 others were injured, and 194 remained missing. Authorities said the quake destroyed more than 26,300 homes and damaged another 127,608.

The U.S. State Department announced on Aug. 14 an additional $11 million in humanitarian aid for Colombia, bringing total U.S. assistance for the country’s earthquake response efforts to $26.5 million.

The department said the aid includes food, medical supplies, shelter assistance, and post-earthquake structural assessments.

“The State Department is also leveraging support from [U.S. Southern Command] to transport critical relief supplies from our Miami prepositioning warehouse to Colombia,” it stated on X.

“The U.S. continues to support the people of Colombia as they respond to this devastating earthquake.”