President Donald Trump greets Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney during a world leaders’ summit on Oct. 13, 2025, in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. (Evan Vucci – Pool/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump announced Tuesday morning that he is giving “serious consideration” to renaming Lake Ontario “Lake America” — mirroring his move to rename the Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America early in his second term.
Trump later posted on his social media platform an altered map of the lake and surrounding area.
The map posted by Trump depicts the great lake with the official “Lake Ontario” label crossed out. In its place is a “Lake America” label in a larger, gold-colored font and a graphic of an American flag.
Just like the Gulf of Mexico, Lake Ontario is a shared international waterway and multiple international, federal and regional agencies oversee it.
Split along the U.S.-Canada border, New York state and Ontario each govern their own portion of the lakebed and shoreline. The U.S. and Canada jointly manage it through the International Joint Commission and Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement.
And just like the renaming of the Gulf of Mexico, Trump can unilaterally change a geographic name for official U.S. federal government use, like his action via executive order in that case — but he doesn’t have the authority to dictate what other countries or international bodies call it.
Trump on Tuesday also rejected Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s claims that the U.S. was making threats on Canada’s use of the French language, as opposed to English, as part of the ongoing trade war. Trump said on social media that he would “never interfere with Canadians speaking French.”
“I have never even thought of doing such a stupid thing. This lie was made up by a weak and ineffective Prime Minister in an attempt to gain political support, which he has totally lost, from the people of Quebec. I love French Canadians!” Trump posted on his social media platform.
During a press conference on Saturday, Carney claimed that one of the reasons the trade talks with the U.S. collapsed is because the Trump administration wanted Canada to make changes to their use of the French language.
“This was not our choice. We were ready and close to having a comprehensive agreement that would be fair to both countries. But they made changes, including threats on the French language and Quebec culture and Canadian culture. That is not acceptable. That would never be acceptable,” Carney said.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on June 16, 2026, in Evian-les-Bains, France. (Evelyn Hockstein – Pool/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — Canada on Tuesday announced retaliatory tariffs as high as 50% on hundreds of United States products, including some steel and aluminum goods, furniture and clothing, a senior Canadian government official told ABC News.
The levies, which take effect on Sept. 8, are set to escalate a trade war that erupted over the weekend after official negotiations collapsed.
Canada will target billions worth of U.S. goods, the senior official said.
The tariffs will match many products included in U.S. levies, among them paper and dairy, the senior official added.
The move comes after President Donald Trump on Monday said in a social media post that he will ratchet up tariffs on Canada-made cars and auto parts in January.
Negotiations between Canada and the U.S. broke down over the weekend and a fresh round of 50% U.S. tariffs on some Canadian goods took effect on Saturday, prompting a vow from Canada to retaliate with a set of its own levies.
The latest announcement from Trump promised to double tariffs from 25% to 50% on Canadian cars and auto parts starting on Jan. 1, 2027. The elevated levy will also apply to steel and trucks, according to the president.
“On Trade, and in other ways, also, they are among the worst Nations in the World to deal with,” Trump said his social media platform on Monday. “They feel entitled, and yet, WE DON’T NEED CANADA, THEY NEED US!”
Trump did not provide a reason for his choice to delay the tariffs until January.
In the first half of 2026, the U.S. exported $175.8 billion in goods to Canada — the second biggest export trading partner after Mexico — accounting for 14% of all U.S. exports, according to the Census Bureau.
The sharp criticism arrived days after Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney issued blistering remarks about the U.S. approach to trade negotiations. He said talks broke down after American negotiators made requests that were unfavorable to Canada.
“They asked too much and offered too little,” Carney said at a Saturday press conference.
According to Carney, the 50% tariff would be applied to roughly $28 billion of Canadian goods and that Canada would match the U.S. “dollar for dollar.”
Carney noted that one of the sticking points was changes by the U.S. over its levels of tariffs on automobiles that he claimed would have hurt Canada’s economy over time.
He criticized the Trump administration, saying it “uses economic integration as a weapon.”
CIA Director John L. Ratcliffe testifies during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on worldwide threats in the Hart Senate Office Building on March 18, 2026, in Washington, D.C. A closed session immediately followed the hearing. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — CIA Director John Ratcliffe is in Moscow, Russia, for meetings, according to multiple officials familiar with the meetings.
A Boeing C-17A Globemaster III was seen at the Moscow airport.
The CIA, Department of Defense and the Air Force declined to comment.
Tracking data published by the Flightradar24 website showed that a U.S. military Boeing C-17 Globemaster III, flight number RCH4555, departed from the Latvian capital Riga on Tuesday morning.
The flight landed at Vnukovo International Airport, which is one of the Russian capital’s four international airports, located to the southwest of the city.
Flightradar24 data showed that the flight originated from Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, a major East Coast Air Force base known for hosting Air Force One.
The C-17 Globemaster III is a large military transport aircraft, which the U.S. Air Force website says can be used for strategic and tactical airlift and airdrop missions, as well as aeromedical evacuations.
ABC News’ Patrick Reevell contributed to this report.
People inspect the aftermath of a Russian missile strike on Aug. 20, 2026, in Kyiv, Ukraine. Apartment blocks and warehouses were hit across the city overnight following a large barrage of missiles, with a children’s hospital and school also damaged. (Diego Fedele/Getty Images)
LONDON — A “massive” Russian missile and drone attack on Kyiv on Wednesday night killed at least 15 people and injured more than 40 others, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a post to social media on Thursday.
“Throughout the night, our emergency services have been working at the sites of Russian strikes,” Zelenskyy wrote. “The attack was massive — the Russians prepared for a long time and combined different types of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones to inflict as much damage as possible on civilian infrastructure.”
Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched an unspecified number of ballistic missiles into the country overnight as well as 46 cruise or air-to-ground missiles of various types. Russia also launched 168 drones, the air force said.
“The main direction of the attack was the Kyiv region,” the air force wrote in a post to Telegram. It added that 41 cruise missiles of various types and 145 drones were shot down or otherwise suppressed, with munitions reported impacting across 28 locations.
The air force did not say whether any ballistic missiles were shot down. Earlier this month, the air force stopped publishing the number of ballistic missiles fired or intercepted in Russia’s nightly barrages.
Around the capital, Zelenskyy said that residential buildings, a children’s hospital and school were among the sites damaged. The president also reported overnight Russian attacks in the southern Odesa and northern Chernihiv regions.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said in posts to Telegram that damage was reported in the Sviatoshynskyi, Solomianskyi and Darnitskyi areas of the city, including fires at warehouses and residential buildings.
Recent months have seen an expansion of Russian missile attacks all across Ukraine, as officials in Kyiv warn that Ukrainian stocks of anti-missile interceptor munitions are dangerously low and, in some cases, exhausted.
Ukraine is working on its own ballistic missile interceptor program — the FREYJA — but officials in Kyiv have said they do not expect the weapon to be operational until 2027.
Zelenskyy on Thursday again appealed to foreign partners to route more ammunition to Kyiv. “Unfortunately, while Moscow is investing in ballistics and escalation, there isn’t always the necessary response from the world to such attacks,” he wrote.
“As long as Ukraine lacks sufficient anti-ballistic defenses, Russia will not seriously consider peace. We are doing everything we can to ensure protection, and work on the FREYJA program continues every day. However, interceptors for ‘Patriot’ systems are not yet available, and they are needed every day,” Zelenskyy wrote.
In a later post, the Ukrainian leader said that the country’s defense against ballistic missiles is “entirely dependent on the supply of missiles for ‘Patriot’ systems to Ukraine, and therefore, it depends on our partners.”
“We cannot simply stand by idly and watch as the Russians destroy lives with ballistic missiles. Ukrainian soldiers can operate effectively when the courage and professionalism of our people are supported by the appropriate assistance from our partners,” Zelenskyy added.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha reported a “horrible and sleepless night in Kyiv,” in a post to X. “This was one of the most brutal Russian attacks to date, with ballistic missiles raining down on our capital one after another,” he wrote.
Russia’s Defense Ministry described the overnight attack as having targeted “military industrial enterprises, a transport and logistics hub and warehouses in Kyiv and the Kyiv region.”
The Defense Ministry also said that it shot down at least 726 Ukrainian drones over 18 Russian regions plus Crimea, the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea. At least 28 drones were shot down over the Moscow region, Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said on Telegram.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney greets U.S. President Donald Trump at the official welcome ceremony during the G7 Leaders’ Summit on June 16, 2025 in Kananaskis, Alberta. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — President Donald Trump said he is pausing for three days the new 50% tariffs on Canadian goods that were set to go into effect early Wednesday, citing a deal between the U.S. and Canada.
“I have paused the 50% Tariffs against Canada, that were scheduled to kick in tomorrow morning for a three day period, based on the fact that Canada and the U.S.A., subject to the finalization of documents, have a DEAL,” Trump said in a social media post on Tuesday night.
The new tariffs, targeting dozens of products from hockey sticks to wine, were set to go into effect at 12:01 a.m. ET on Wednesday.
Trump confirmed Wednesday that he had a “very good conversation” with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Tuesday night, repeating that he’d struck a deal to avert a 50% American tariff on a hodgepodge of Canadian goods for now.
“Yeah, we had a very good conversation with the Prime Minister last night, and we’ve come to a deal with Canada. As you know, the 50% tariffs across the board were going on against Canada today,” Trump said Wednesday.
The president claimed that as part of the Canadian deal, Canadian tariffs on American agricultural goods would be “non-existent.”
“The tariffs will be non-existent for our farmers. Our farmers were paying tremendous tariffs into Canada. And those tariffs are going to be totally eviscerated down to zero,” Trump noted.
Canada’s latest statement on the matter reflects that while “substantial progress” has been made, important work remains.
“As this work is ongoing, the United States has agreed to postpone the implementation of its 50% tariff on a range of Canadian goods under Section 338 of the U.S. Tariff Act of 1930 until end of day, August 21,” Carney said in a statement.
The U.S. Trade Representative’s official account on X responded to Trump’s announcement Tuesday, providing a bit of insight into what a final deal might entail. “The deal will include comprehensive market access for all American goods, economic security commitments, digital trade alignment, and many important provisions that will continue to protect our market and American workers, along with our Canadian partners,” the USTR posted.
Trump had suggested the deal might include a renewed effort to build the Keystone Pipeline, despite the project being canceled in 2021 after years of criticism about the project’s environmental impact.
“Keystone XL Pipeline, long ago killed by Sleepy Joe Biden, may be awoken from the grave!” Trump added in the post.
Due to exemptions on key goods, the tariffs were expected to hit only a fraction of U.S. imports from Canada.
Still, the list of affected goods features an array of food items such as dairy products, honey, whey protein and molasses; as well as alcoholic beverages like whiskey and vodka.
It all comes weeks after Trump imposed sweeping new tariffs on 60 trade partners, including the European Union. Those levies ramped up an effort to reconstruct far-reaching duties struck down by the Supreme Court earlier this year.
Unlike previous tariffs, the new Canada tariffs would have applied to products compliant with the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA, a free trade agreement. The levies included significant exemptions, however, leaving out some top Canadian imports such as oil, gas and potash.
Trump first announced the tariffs in a series of executive orders last month, saying the move had been made in retaliation for Canadian policies he considers discriminatory against U.S. exports.
“President Trump is offsetting the burden and disadvantage on U.S. commerce from Canada’s discriminatory treatment of U.S. commerce and is leveling the playing field for crucial American exports–cars, alcohol, and dairy,” the White House said at the time.
In a statement last month, Carney criticized a flurry of U.S. tariffs put forward since last year, saying Canada has “merely matched those measures.”
“This trade dispute has raised costs for families, particularly in the U.S. Canada stands ready to engage intensively to address outstanding issues with the U.S. to the mutual benefit of our citizens,” Carney said.
Trump has carried out on-again, off-again trade negotiations with Canada since he took office, aiming to resolve a dispute that began with tariffs announced by Trump early in his second term.
Trump sought to impose the tariffs under a legal authority enshrined in section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930, which allows the president to enact levies up to 50% for countries found to have discriminated against the U.S. relative to their treatment of other nations.
The provision has never been invoked before, meaning the move lacks judicial precedent, Abigail Watt, an economist at UBS, said in a memo shared with ABC News.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney greets U.S. President Donald Trump at the official welcome ceremony during the G7 Leaders’ Summit on June 16, 2025 in Kananaskis, Alberta. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — President Donald Trump said he is pausing for three days the new 50% tariffs on Canadian goods set to go into effect early Wednesday, citing a deal between the U.S. and Canada.
“I have paused the 50% Tariffs against Canada, that were scheduled to kick in tomorrow morning for a three day period, based on the fact that Canada and the U.S.A., subject to the finalization of documents, have a DEAL,” Trump said in a social media post.
The new tariffs, targeting dozens of products from hockey sticks to wine, were set to go into effect at 12:01 a.m. ET on Wednesday.
The U.S. Trade Representative’s official account on X responded to Trump’s announcement, providing a bit of insight into what a final deal might entail.
“The deal will include comprehensive market access for all American goods, economic security commitments, digital trade alignment, and many important provisions that will continue to protect our market and American workers, along with our Canadian partners,” the USTR posted.
While the president did not offer specifics about the deal, he did suggest that it might include a renewed effort to build the Keystone Pipeline, despite the project being canceled in 2021 after years of criticism about the project’s environmental impact.
“Keystone XL Pipeline, long ago killed by Sleepy Joe Biden, may be awoken from the grave!” Trump added in the post.
Due to exemptions on key goods, the tariffs were expected to hit only a fraction of U.S. imports from Canada.
Still, the list of affected goods features an array of food items such as dairy products, honey, whey protein and molasses; as well as alcoholic beverages like whiskey and vodka.
It all comes weeks after Trump imposed sweeping new tariffs on 60 trade partners, including the European Union. Those levies ramped up an effort to reconstruct far-reaching duties struck down by the Supreme Court earlier this year.
Unlike previous tariffs, the new Canada tariffs would have applied to products compliant with the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA, a free trade agreement. The levies included significant exemptions, however, leaving out some top Canadian imports such as oil, gas and potash.
Trump first announced the tariffs in a series of executive orders last month, saying the move had been made in retaliation for Canadian policies he considers discriminatory against U.S. exports.
“President Trump is offsetting the burden and disadvantage on U.S. commerce from Canada’s discriminatory treatment of U.S. commerce and is leveling the playing field for crucial American exports–cars, alcohol, and dairy,” the White House said at the time.
In a statement last month, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney criticized a flurry of U.S. tariffs put forward since last year, saying Canada has “merely matched those measures.”
“This trade dispute has raised costs for families, particularly in the U.S. Canada stands ready to engage intensively to address outstanding issues with the U.S. to the mutual benefit of our citizens,” Carney said.
Trump has carried out on-again, off-again trade negotiations with Canada since he took office, aiming to resolve a dispute that began with tariffs announced by Trump early in his second term.
Trump sought to impose the tariffs under a legal authority enshrined in section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930, which allows the president to enact levies up to 50% for countries found to have discriminated against the U.S. relative to their treatment of other nations.
The provision has never been invoked before, meaning the move lacks judicial precedent, Abigail Watt, an economist at UBS, said in a memo shared with ABC News.
South Korean soldiers participate in an anti-terrorism exercise, linked to the ongoing joint military drills known as Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS), at Lotte Hotel World on Aug. 19, 2026 in Seoul, South Korea. (Chung Sung-jun/Getty Images)
(LONDON) — South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) confirmed that ongoing joint military drills with U.S. forces would end early, following President Donald Trump’s announcement Sunday that he had ordered the Pentagon to “substantially reduce” the exercises.
The annual U.S.-South Korea Ulchi Freedom Shield began Monday. On Wednesday, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that, in response to a U.S. proposal, “the allies agreed to adjust parts of the exercise, including its duration and scale.”
The drills will now end Aug. 21, six days earlier than originally planned. The two sides also agreed to scale back some combined field training exercises, the details of which are still under discussion, the JCS said.
“Going forward, South Korea and the United States will discuss and implement various measures to achieve the objectives of the UFS exercise and maintain a strong combined defense posture,” the statement added.
A Pentagon official told ABC News that the exercise had been “substantially reduced” on “direction from the president and secretary of war.”
“The exercise will conclude on Aug. 21, one week earlier than scheduled. Associated live-training events have been reduced, with certain events canceled or converted to simulations,” the official said. “These adjustments preserve essential readiness and training objectives. There will be no degradation to U.S. training objectives.”
Trump ordered the drills scaled back, citing his “very good” relationship with North Korea’s Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un. Pyongyang routinely protests joint U.S.-South Korean exercises, framing their military cooperation as undermining stability on the Korean Peninsula.
This week, Pyongyang described Ulchi Freedom Shield as an “open threat” to North Korea.
On Sunday, Trump criticized the annual military exercise as “inappropriate and hostile” toward North Korea, a country he said has been “unthreatening and respectful” toward the United States during his presidency.
“Based on my very good relationship with Kim Jong Un, of North Korea, I am not happy with the fact that the United States has, long ago, agreed to participate in Joint Military Exercises with South Korea,” Trump wrote on his social media platform.
“Therefore, and based on the fact that it is too late to cancel, I have instructed Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, to substantially reduce the Joint Military Exercises!” he said.
South Korea is a longtime U.S. ally and hosts roughly 28,500 U.S. troops. The U.S. presence on the peninsula has traditionally been intended to prevent a resumption of cross-border hostilities, with the Korean War of 1950-53 having never officially ended.
In 2006, North Korea tested its first nuclear weapon and has since been expanding its atomic weapons stockpile — despite international condemnation and sanctions led by successive U.S. administrations — alongside a ballistic missile research program which has produced munitions capable of reaching the continental U.S.
In recent decades, the U.S. presence in South Korea has also become an important point of leverage in the strategic contest between Washington and Beijing, the latter having long served as Pyongyang’s prime patron.
ABC News’ Joohee Cho, Desiree Adib, Will Gretsky and Steve Beynon contributed to this report.
US Marine Corps participate in the annual Key Resolve and Foal Eagle Exercise at Rodriguez Range on March 10, 2009, in Paju, South Korea. (Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump announced Sunday that he had directed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to “substantially reduce” joint U.S.-South Korean military exercises, citing his “very good” relationship with North Korea’s Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un.
“Based on my very good relationship with Kim Jong Un, of North Korea, I am not happy with the fact that the United States has, long ago, agreed to participate in Joint Military Exercises with South Korea,” Trump wrote on his social media platform.
“Therefore, and based on the fact that it is too late to cancel, I have instructed Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, to substantially reduce the Joint Military Exercises!” he said.
Trump said the exercises send “inappropriate and hostile” signals to North Korea, a country he says has been “unthreatening and respectful” towards America during his presidency.
The annual U.S.-South Korea Ulchi Freedom Shield began on Monday. An official from the South Korean Ministry of Defense told ABC News that the military exercise now underway “will be carried on as planned.”
South Korea is a longtime U.S. ally and hosts roughly 28,500 American troops. The U.S. presence on the peninsula has traditionally been intended to prevent a resumption of cross-border hostilities, with the Korean War of 1950-1953 having never officially ended.
In 2006, North Korea tested its first nuclear weapon and has since been expanding its atomic weapons stockpile — despite international condemnation and sanctions led by successive U.S. administrations — alongside a ballistic missile research program which has produced munitions capable of reaching the continental U.S.
In recent decades, the U.S. presence in South Korea has also become an important point of leverage in the strategic contest between Washington and Beijing, the latter having long served as Pyongyang’s prime patron.
Trump’s announcement came after North Korea on Friday threatened a strong response against the U.S. and South Korea in response to the planned drills.
In his post to social media, Trump also cited South Korea’s refusal to join the U.S. military effort against — and “denuclearization” of — Iran, though said the issue was “somewhat unrelated (?)” to his decision to scale back the U.S.-South Korean drills.
In response to Trump’s statement, South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs told ABC News it hoped the “friendly relationship between the leaders of the United States and North Korea will lead to meaningful dialogue between Washington and Pyongyang and pave the way for discussions aimed at advancing peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.”
“The South Korean government has actively participated from the outset in international discussions aimed at securing a ceasefire in Iran and restoring freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz,” the ministry added.
Trump has long lauded his relationship with Kim, though the president’s first term began with an extended period of tensions that saw Trump repeatedly refer to Kim as “little rocket man” and threaten Pyongyang with “fire and fury.”
But the discord gave way to a detente that saw Trump and Kim meet in person three times in 2018 and 2019 — first in Singapore, then in Vietnam and later in the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea.
But despite seemingly improved ties and the in-person meetings, Trump failed to achieve his stated goal of North Korean denuclearization.
Since talks with Trump broke down in 2019, Pyongyang has maintained a steady rhythm of ballistic missile tests. Earlier this month and with the U.S.-South Korea military drills approaching, North Korea conducted two ballistic missile launches in quick succession.
Recent years have also seen North Korea pull closer to both Russia and Iran, putting Pyongyang in opposition to the U.S. and its allies in the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.
On Saturday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Moscow-Pyongyang ties have reached an “unprecedented level of comprehensive strategic partnership.”
ABC News’ Joohee Cho and Hakyung Kate Lee contributed to this report.
The partially collapsed La Luna hotel after a magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck Colombia on Aug. 10, 2026, in Cali, Colombia. (Samir Rojas/Getty Images)
(LONDON) — At least 224 people are dead after a 7.4-magnitude earthquake rocked western Colombia on Monday, Colombia’s Public Ministry said.
The country’s new president, Abelardo de la Espriella, has declared a national disaster, with destruction reported in multiple cities.
The earthquake’s epicenter was 5 kilometers east of San José del Palmar, Colombia, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Along with the 224 dead, at least and 572 other have been injured, officials said.
The U.S. State Department said in a post on X that the Trump administration is committing $15.5 million for the Colombia earthquake response that will go towards emergency shelter, food, protection and earthquake assessments.
Some of the hardest-hit regions include the cities of Pereira and Cali. Dozens of people have been reported dead in their respective departments.
At least 61 buildings have collapsed and over 1,600 homes have been damaged or destroyed, the president said. Dozens of health centers, community centers and roads have also been damaged, he said.
In Cali, at least 20 buildings collapsed and people were trapped, according to the mayor. A rescue effort was ongoing in a building where at least 15 people were trapped, according to officials. A hospital in the city experienced severe damage, with one of the wings partially collapsing, and patients were being relocated, the local governor said.
The Mayor of Cali announced a curfew from 8 p.m. Monday to 6 a.m. Tuesday to “ensure safety in the city and to provide sufficient space and conditions for rescue workers to continue their efforts.”
The governor of Chuco said there were injuries and “severe damage” to buildings in the department’s capital city of Quibdo.
Seven airports have suspended their services, in the cities of Armenia, Cali, Manizales, Pereira, Quibdo, Buenaventura and Cartago.
There have not been any reports of collapsed buildings in the capital of Bogota, officials said.
The Monday morning earthquake was the strongest recorded in the country in a decade, according to the Colombian Geological Survey. It was widely felt throughout Colombia and in neighboring countries including Venezuela, Ecuador and Panama, it said.
The Colombian president said in a video on social media that he was headed to Bogota to “focus on addressing the emergency facing our country” and has convened a unified command post to respond to the affected areas, including what’s known as the Coffee-Growers’ Axis.
The Trump administration is “closely monitoring” the earthquake and stands “ready” to support the people of Colombia, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement.
The partially collapsed La Luna hotel after a magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck Colombia on Aug. 10, 2026, in Cali, Colombia. (Samir Rojas/Getty Images)
(LONDON) — Over 100 people are dead after a 7.4-magnitude earthquake rocked western Colombia on Monday, officials said.
The country’s new president, Abelardo de la Espriella, has declared a national disaster, with destruction reported in multiple cities.
The earthquake’s epicenter was 5 kilometers east of San José del Palmar, Colombia, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
At least 111 people are dead and 87 have been injured, according to Colombia’s president.
Some of the hardest-hit regions include the cities of Pereira and Cali. Dozens of people have been reported dead in their respective departments.
At least 61 buildings have collapsed and over 1,600 homes have been damaged or destroyed, the president said. Dozens of health centers, community centers and roads have also been damaged, he said.
In Cali, at least 20 buildings collapsed and people were trapped, according to the mayor. A rescue effort was ongoing in a building where at least 15 people were trapped, according to officials.
The governor of Chuco said there were injuries and “severe damage” to buildings in the department’s capital city of Quibdo.
Seven airports have suspended their services, in the cities of Armenia, Cali, Manizales, Pereira, Quibdo, Buenaventura and Cartago.
There have not been any reports of collapsed buildings in the capital of Bogota, officials said.
The Colombian president said in a video on social media that he was headed to Bogota to “focus on addressing the emergency facing our country” and has convened a unified command post to respond to the affected areas, including what’s known as the Coffee-Growers’ Axis.
The Trump administration is “closely monitoring” the earthquake and stands “ready” to support the people of Colombia, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement.
