Risaralda manages budget and aid delays following earthquake

The Risaralda Department's Planning and Environment Secretariat has projected a budget of approximately 20.2 billion pesos for 2027. This financial planning comes amid significant budgetary deficits and challenges following a major earthquake on August 10.

The proposed budget allocates 66.8% to the Housing, City, and Territory sector, 24.4% to the Territorial Government sector, and 8.8% to the Environment and Sustainable Development sector. Due to the earthquake's impact, some resources originally intended for environmental land purchases and participatory budgeting have been redirected to the Departmental Disaster Risk Management Coordination to prepare for potential El Niño phenomenon consequences.

Simultaneously, victims of the earthquake in the Risaralda, Quindío, and Caldas regions are reporting delays in receiving rental and repair assistance. The Procuraduría noted on October 5 that some families remain excluded from the Unified Registry of Victims because the registration closed before technical evaluations were completed. While authorities emphasize the need for rigorous verification to prevent the misuse of public funds, there are growing calls to reopen registration stages to account for ongoing damage caused by subsequent seismic activity.