South Florida Mobilizes Aid and Hosts Benefit Concert for Colombia Earthquake Relief

A week after a devastating earthquake struck Colombia, South Florida residents have launched coordinated relief efforts to assist victims still recovering from the disaster. The tremor has claimed approximately 290 lives, left roughly 140 people unaccounted for, and injured nearly 4,000 individuals. Search-and-rescue operations continue as aid flows into the hardest-hit regions from across South Florida.

A star-studded benefit concert at the Kaseya Center in downtown Miami on Sunday drew thousands of supporters and featured major Latin American music acts performing to raise funds for earthquake victims in both Colombia and Venezuela, which has also experienced significant seismic damage. Attendee Camilo Garcia, a Cuban resident, praised the event for bringing communities together. “This is a great thing we’re doing for both countries,” Garcia said. “They needed this to get help from us, and we should help more people in the future like this.”

Beyond the concert, humanitarian groups have mobilized practical support for affected areas. A second relief aircraft loaded with medical supplies prepared to depart South Florida bound for Pereira, a city near the earthquake’s epicenter that suffered substantial damage. Juan Rojas, president of Red Legacy Aviation, confirmed the mission’s critical importance to the stricken region.

Help Land Foundation joined other organizations in urgently collecting supplies for displaced residents and the injured. Founder Ender Urdaneta emphasized the organization’s commitment despite limited resources. “We’re small but with big hearts,” Urdaneta said. “For us, the important thing is making sure we’re helping those in need.”