Colombia's First Heritage Damage Report: 40 Protected Sites Hit by 7.4-Magnitude Earthquake

A 7.4-magnitude earthquake that struck western Colombia on 10 August killed 304 people and injured 4,548, according to the latest official figures. The epicentre was in San José del Palmar, in the department of Chocó. Nine days later, Colombia's Ministry of Culture released its first official assessment of the damage to the country's cultural heritage — a report titled "Primer informe de daños reportados en Bienes de Interés Cultural tras el terremoto" ("First report of damages reported in Cultural Interest Properties after the earthquake"), published on 14 August and presented by Minister of Culture Paola Holguín The Art Newspaper.

The report identifies 40 nationally protected cultural properties — buildings and sites given the country's highest heritage designation — across the seven hardest-hit departments that suffered some degree of damage. Of those, 22 were severely impacted, 13 suffered moderate damage, and five were lightly affected. An additional 84 cultural assets without national designation were also damaged, including 39 religious sites. Twelve of the 15 designated historic districts, known in Colombia as centros históricos, located within the affected area were hit.

Valle del Cauca, the department home to the city of Cali, accounted for 23 of the 40 damaged nationally protected properties. In Cali alone, 11 cultural sites are listed: eight with severe damage and three with minor damage. Among the severely damaged are the Palacio Nacional administrative building, the La Merced church and convent, the Catedral de San Pedro, the city's modernist train station, the municipal theatre, and the Hospital Universitario Evaristo García.

In Popayán, the capital of the neighbouring department of Cauca, the historic centre was badly hit. The report lists the Museo Nacional Guillermo Valencia, the Templo del Carmen, and the Templo de Santo Domingo — the latter two churches severely damaged — along with the Casa de Hacienda Japio in Santander de Quilichao.

The Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary in Manizales, the tallest church in Colombia, is among the sites with severe damage after one of its side towers collapsed during the quake. In Antioquia, six properties appear in the report, including the main square complex in Jardín, the train station in Cisneros, a church in Sabaletas, and three buildings in Medellín, among them the former palace of the departmental government.

The earthquake also struck the Coffee Cultural Landscape, a UNESCO World Heritage Site spanning 51 municipalities. According to the official assessment, more than 60% of urban areas across the region suffered severe damage.

For communities across western Colombia, these are not just listed buildings. They are the churches where weddings and funerals are held, the theatres and municipal buildings that anchor town squares, and the historic centres that draw visitors and sustain local economies. The Ministry of Culture's report is a first balance — an initial survey, not a final count — and further assessments are expected as inspectors reach areas still difficult to access.