The country’s Ministry of Mines and Energy confirmed the incident, noting that the miners are “presumed alive” but did not disclose the exact cause of the collapse. Rescue operations are currently underway, with emergency protocols fully activated.

“We are doing everything possible to find and rescue them,” said Minister of Mines and Energy, Edwin Palma, in a post on social media. “All emergency response units have been mobilized to the site.”

According to Yarley Erasmo Marin, a spokesperson for a local mining association, the incident occurred due to a mechanical failure that led to the collapse of a protective structure meant to prevent landslides. “The entrance was completely blocked. They are inside with no way out,” Marin explained.

The mayor of Remedios, the municipality where the mine is located, stated in a message to the national government that preliminary information suggests the site may have been operating without legal authorization. “It appears this was an illegal mining operation,” the mayor wrote.

Photographs shared by the National Mining Agency showed rescue teams using flashlights and navigating narrow underground passages as the search continues. The atmosphere at the site remains tense as families of the trapped miners await news.

The area in Antioquia, where the collapse occurred, is well known for its long-standing gold mining activity. However, illegal operations remain a concern, with some reportedly linked to armed groups and organized crime.

Authorities have not yet confirmed the identities of the miners or how long they may be able to survive underground. As the rescue mission continues, officials stress the urgency of reaching the workers before conditions worsen.

The post 18 Miners Trapped After Gold Mine Collapse in Colombia appeared first on Housing TV Africa.

The tremor occurred at approximately 8:08 a.m. local time, with its epicenter located near Paratebueno, around 170 kilometers east of the capital, Bogotá. According to the United States Geological Survey, the quake had a shallow depth of just nine kilometers, intensifying its effects on surface structures.

In Paratebueno, damage to buildings was clearly visible. Reporters in the area observed several structures partially collapsed, including a local church with severe structural damage. Tin-roofed homes were also among those reduced to rubble, though no serious injuries had been confirmed at the time of reporting. Authorities were assessing minor damages in nearby rural communities.

In Bogotá, a sprawling city of over eight million residents located high in the Andes, the tremor caused alarm as tall buildings visibly shook for nearly a minute. Sirens rang out across neighborhoods, and thousands of people rushed out of homes, offices, and high-rises into open areas. Many were still in sleepwear as they gathered in parks and plazas, trying to comfort children and locate pets that had fled in panic.

“The entire building was trembling. We didn’t know if it would stop or get worse,” said Carlos Ruiz, a resident who evacuated with his family. Others described it as one of the strongest quakes they had experienced in recent years.

Aftershocks added to the unease, leading many to remain outside rather than risk returning indoors too quickly. Seismic activity was also reported in other major cities, including Medellín and Cali, extending the reach of the quake across a significant portion of the country.

In response, Bogotá’s mayor, Carlos Fernando Galán, announced that all emergency and disaster response agencies had been mobilized. The city’s security services initiated structural assessments and outreach efforts to provide support where needed.

Colombia lies within the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” a seismically active region prone to frequent earthquakes due to tectonic plate interactions. The region has a history of devastating quakes, including a deadly 6.2 magnitude event in 1999 that claimed nearly 1,200 lives.

Though Sunday’s quake did not result in mass casualties, it served as a stark reminder of the country’s vulnerability to seismic events and the importance of preparedness in densely populated urban areas.

The post Strong Earthquake Shakes Central Colombia, Damages Buildings, Sparks Panic appeared first on Housing TV Africa.

In a social media post, Trump said he has ordered an emergency 25% tariff on all Colombian goods coming into the US, which will be raised to 50% in one week. Oil, gold, coffee and flowers top the list of exports, according to Colombia’s tax authorities.

He has also called for a travel ban and immediate visa revocations on Colombian government officials “and all Allies and Supporters” as well as visa sanctions on party members, family members and supporters of the government of President Gustavo Petro.

“Petro’s denial of these flights has jeopardized the National Security and Public Safety of the United States,” Trump said.

Petro said earlier Sunday that he’d reject US flights carrying migrants unless they were treated with dignity and not as criminals. Brazil received 88 migrants on Friday, who were shackled and in handcuffs.

US Customs and Border Protection security agents guide a group of migrants to board a C-17 Globemaster III aircraft for a removal flight at Fort Bliss, Texas, on Jan. 23.Photographer: Sgt. 1st Class Nicholas J. De La/US Department of Defense
In a statement on Sunday, Colombia said it would offer the presidential plane to arrange the repatriation flights for migrants set to return to Colombia Sunday, as it considers the military planes Trump is using as degrading to the migrants.

While most South American nations now do more business with China, the US remains Colombia’s top trading partner.

Between January and November 2024, Colombian exports to the US reached $13 billion, a near 8% increase compared to the same period in 2023. Colombians in the US also also generate strong cultural ties and remittance flows.

Colombia is the US’s fourth-biggest source of foreign oil, topping both Saudi Arabia and Brazil, according to the Energy Information Administration. The latest data showed Colombia shipping more than 215,000 barrels of crude daily to US ports.

About a third, or 29%, of Colombian exports go to the US.

Trump also said in his post that he would enhance inspections from US Customs and Border Protection of all Colombian nationals and cargo on national security grounds. He added that under his executive authority, Treasury, banking and financial sanctions will be fully imposed.

BRAZIL-US-MIGRATION-DEPORTATION
The plane that brought Brazilians who were deported from US, sits at Eduardo Gomes International Airport in Manaus, Amazonas state, Brazil, on Jan. 25.Photographer: Michael Dantas/AFP/Getty Images
Trump delivered a fresh threat upon taking office to place tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China on Feb. 1, which he said would balance trade deals and collect revenue to offset his domestic legislative proposals. While on the campaign trail, he considered creating a universal baseline tariff as a way to incentivize manufacturing and business in the United States.

But Trump’s reaction to Petro’s rejection of some deported migrants shows how he sees tariffs as an economic weapon to be deployed against governments that may challenge his geopolitical goals. It sends a powerful message to the world, that not even old political allies are safe if they do not cooperate with his goals.

Colombia has historically been one of Washington’s biggest allies in Latin America and a major recipient of US aid and military assistance. Yet as one of Latin America’s leading leftist leaders, Petro was already on the wrong side of Trump. Petro has courted China and slammed Israel over the death toll among Palestinians in its war with Hamas.

“Petro’s response to Trump was foolish and it was a fight he won’t win,” Sergio Guzmán, an analyst at Colombia Risk Analysis said. “Social media posts have consequences, and it will be a difficult moment for Colombia as it will have real repercussions on us.

“It couldn’t come at a worst moment for the Colombian flower industry,” he said, given Valentine’s Day is approaching.

The two countries’ ties were already at risk after last week, when guerrillas from the Marxist ELN group went door to door with death lists in a bid to seize total control of Catatumbo, a mountainous cocaine-producing region near the Venezuelan border.

As a result, Colombia could potentially face decertification as a partner in the war on drugs, putting it in the same rogue category as Nicolás Maduro’s Venezuela — even if the effect would be more reputational than financial.

The White House has said that it has arrested 538 illegal immigrants and had begun using military aircrafts to remove them within the administration’s first 100 hours.

— With assistance from Joe Carroll, Walter Brandimarte, and Oscar Medina

The post Trump Slaps Tariffs, Sanctions on Colombia in Migrant Fight appeared first on Housing TV Africa.

President Donald Trump slapped tariffs and travel bans on Colombia on Sunday, after the South American country refused to allow two planes of deported migrants to land on its soil.

In a social media post, Trump said he has ordered an emergency 25% tariff on all Colombian goods coming into the US, which will be raised to 50% in one week. Oil, gold, coffee and flowers top the list of exports, according to Colombia’s tax authorities.

He has also called for a travel ban and immediate visa revocations on Colombian government officials “and all Allies and Supporters” as well as visa sanctions on party members, family members and supporters of the government of President Gustavo Petro.

“Petro’s denial of these flights has jeopardized the National Security and Public Safety of the United States,” Trump said.

Petro said earlier Sunday that he’d reject US flights carrying migrants unless they were treated with dignity and not as criminals. Brazil received 88 migrants on Friday, who were shackled and in handcuffs.

In a statement on Sunday, Colombia said it would offer the presidential plane to arrange the repatriation flights for migrants set to return to Colombia Sunday, as it considers the military planes Trump is using as degrading to the migrants.

While most South American nations now do more business with China, the US remains Colombia’s top trading partner.

Between January and November 2024, Colombian exports to the US reached $13 billion, a near 8% increase compared to the same period in 2023. Colombians in the US also also generate strong cultural ties and remittance flows.

Colombia is the US’s fourth-biggest source of foreign oil, topping both Saudi Arabia and Brazil, according to the Energy Information Administration. The latest data showed Colombia shipping more than 215,000 barrels of crude daily to US ports.About a third, or 29%, of Colombian exports go to the US.

Trump also said in his post that he would enhance inspections from US Customs and Border Protection of all Colombian nationals and cargo on national security grounds. He added that under his executive authority, Treasury, banking and financial sanctions will be fully imposed.

Trump delivered a fresh threat upon taking office to place tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China on Feb. 1, which he said would balance trade deals and collect revenue to offset his domestic legislative proposals. While on the campaign trail, he considered creating a universal baseline tariff as a way to incentivize manufacturing and business in the United States.

But Trump’s reaction to Petro’s rejection of some deported migrants shows how he sees tariffs as an economic weapon to be deployed against governments that may challenge his geopolitical goals. It sends a powerful message to the world, that not even old political allies are safe if they do not cooperate with his goals.

The post Trump Slaps Tariffs, Sanctions on Colombia in Migrant Fight appeared first on Housing TV Africa.