Government Pegs Earthquake Losses at $9.6 Billion

President de la Espriella announced a preliminary government estimate that the earthquake caused roughly 30 trillion pesos (about $9.6 billion) in economic losses — 24.5 trillion pesos in building damage and 5.5 trillion pesos in infrastructure — cautioning the figure was preliminary and would be 'adjusted as we obtain more information' as regional damage assessments continued. The estimate is roughly five times Oxford Economics' initial $1–2 billion projection and adds to fiscal pressure on a government already running a wide deficit; Oxford Economics projected a 7.1%-of-GDP deficit for 2026 and said it expects to revise that upward as reconstruction spending grows. The World Bank had already disbursed $200 million in support. As of the announcement, the death toll stood at 280, with over 4,000 injured and 143 missing.