De la Espriella Launches Reconstruction From Quibdó, Sets Rent Subsidy at 875,452 Pesos

President de la Espriella formally launched national reconstruction from Quibdó, Chocó, two weeks after the earthquake, declaring 'today reconstruction of the nation begins' and pledging to 'rebuild better what existed, with greater safety, more resilient infrastructure.' The government began distributing 4,480 metric tons of construction materials under a self-repair scheme for lightly damaged homes, while households with destroyed homes qualify for new construction. Families who lost homes will receive a monthly rental subsidy of 875,452 pesos (about $285) for three months — roughly 2.6 million pesos total. Construction conglomerate Grupo Argos committed to building 1,000 rapid-construction homes, 600 of them in Chocó, while materials firm Eternit donated the first 50 prefabricated housing units. As of Aug 24, the national toll stood at 329 dead, 4,592 injured, 234 missing, with 159,924 families affected across 16 departments and 494 municipalities.