The 7.4-magnitude earthquake that devastated Colombia this week was also an immediate test for the country’s new Trump-aligned president. Abelardo de la Espriella, who campaigned on slashing Colombia's deficit and cracking down on armed rebel groups, now faces the prospect of  stalling coffee shipments and a costly relief effort, in his first week in office.

On today’s Big Take podcast, host David Gura talks to Bloomberg’s Oscar Medina in Bogotá, Colombia, and Travis Waldron in Brasília, Brazil, about what this moment could mean for a divided Colombia — and for Latin America’s tilt to the right.

Read more: 
‘Waiting for Any Sign of Life’: Colombia Reels After Quake
Colombia Quake Toll Tops 260, Prompting Economic Emergency
Colombia Earthquake Pressures President Right From the Get-Go

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Hosted by David Gura; Produced by Rachael Lewis-Krisky and Victor Swezey; Reported by Travis Waldron and Oscar Medina; Edited by Jeffrey Grocott. Fact-checking by Laura Newcombe and Brunella Tipismana Urbano; Engineering by Emma Munger. Senior Producer: Naomi Shavin; Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer.

The 7.4-magnitude earthquake that devastated Colombia this week was also an immediate test for the country&rsquo;s new Trump-aligned president. Abelardo de la Espriella, who campaigned on slashing Colombia's deficit and cracking down on armed rebel groups, now faces the prospect of&nbsp; stalling coffee shipments and a costly relief effort, in his first week in office.
On today&rsquo;s Big Take podcast, host David Gura talks to Bloomberg&rsquo;s Oscar Medina in Bogot&aacute;, Colombia, and Travis Waldron in Bras&iacute;lia, Brazil, about what this moment could mean for a divided Colombia &mdash; and for Latin America&rsquo;s tilt to the right.
Read more:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-08-11/-waiting-for-any-sign-of-life-colombia-reels-after-earthquake">&lsquo;Waiting for Any Sign of Life&rsquo;: Colombia Reels After Quake</a></li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-08-12/colombia-quake-death-toll-tops-200-as-foreign-aid-arrives">Colombia Quake Toll Tops 260, Prompting Economic Emergency</a></li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2026-08-11/colombia-earthquake-pressures-president-right-from-the-get-go">Colombia Earthquake Pressures President Right From the Get-Go</a></li>
</ul>
We have a special Bloomberg subscription offer for podcast listeners at <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/subscriptions/podcasts">Bloomberg.com/podcastoffer.</a>
Hosted by David Gura; Produced by Rachael Lewis-Krisky and Victor Swezey; Reported by Travis Waldron and Oscar Medina; Edited by Jeffrey Grocott. Fact-checking by Laura Newcombe and Brunella Tipismana Urbano; Engineering by Emma Munger. Senior Producer: Naomi Shavin; Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer.

The Big Take from Bloomberg News brings you inside what’s shaping the world's economies with the smartest and most informed business reporters around the world. The context you need on the stories that can move markets. Every afternoon.

The Big Take from Bloomberg News brings you inside what’s shaping the world's economies with the smartest and most informed business reporters around the world. The context you need on the stories that can move markets. Every afternoon.

Big Take

A Major Earthquake Challenges Colombia’s New Right-Wing President

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/21de274e-239f-4247-8118-b4a501607c2f/transcript