In the wake of one of the most destructive natural disasters in Colombia’s modern history, a massive wave of solidarity is beginning to take shape. Leading the charge is prominent billionaire businessman Jaime Gilinski and his wife, Raquel Kardonski, who have announced a staggering donation of 150,000 million pesos (approximately $38 million USD) to aid recovery efforts.
The funds are earmarked for a critical priority: rebuilding the shattered healthcare and educational infrastructure in Cali, a city heavily impacted by the recent disaster.
A Presidential Announcement of Hope
The news was broke by Colombian President Abelardo De La Espriella, who shared details of a personal telephone call with the Gilinski family.
“I just spoke on the phone with Jaime Gilinski and his wife, Raquel,” De La Espriella shared on X (formerly Twitter). “They informed me of their decision to donate 150,000 million pesos for the reconstruction of hospitals and schools in Cali. All my gratitude and recognition to the Gilinski family for this extraordinary gesture of solidarity with Colombia. In the most difficult moments, we get to know our best citizens.”
This massive private injection of capital comes at a critical time as the national government struggles to coordinate emergency logistics and formulate a long-term reconstruction plan.
The True Toll of the 7.4 Magnitude Earthquake
The disaster struck on a Monday morning at 7:34 AM, with a powerful 7.4 magnitude earthquake radiating from its epicenter in San José del Palmar, Chocó. While the tremors shook much of western Colombia, the southern sectors of Cali bore the brunt of the structural devastation.
According to the latest official casualty and damage assessments, the humanitarian crisis is severe:
- Human Toll: 289 confirmed fatalities, 4,187 injuries, and 143 people still reported missing.
- Displaced Communities: At least 185,016 individuals (representing over 120,000 families) have been directly affected across 15 departments.
- Housing Crisis: 127,557 homes have suffered serious structural damage, and 26,945 homes have been entirely destroyed.
- Infrastructure Collapse: 66 major buildings have collapsed, alongside damage to 407 roads, 44 vehicle bridges, and 5 airports.
Perhaps most concerning for long-term recovery is the toll on public services: 285 health centers and 2,838 schools have sustained damage.
Real Voices from Ground Zero
In neighborhoods like Capri and Nueva Tequendama, residents are still grappling with the sheer speed of the destruction.
Armando Carrillo, a resident of the Cantabria building in Nueva Tequendama, recalled the terrifying moment the quake hit while he and his wife were inside their apartment.
"It’s terrible. It’s an impressive roar, something that makes you feel like it’s never going to end," Carrillo shared, describing the agonizing seconds spent deciding whether to flee down collapsing stairwells or shelter in place.
For Diego Morales, an architect living in the Amalfi building in the Capri neighborhood, the disaster hit both personally and professionally. As the walls of his home began to tear open, his immediate instinct was to secure his elderly mother.
"Everything started very slowly and then escalated," Morales said. "As an architect, the first thing I did was shield my mother in a structurally secure zone of the building." Now, like thousands of others, he is left looking at his own uninhabitable home.
Rebuilding Cali: What Happens Next?
With key institutions like the Hospital Universitario del Valle—one of the region's most vital medical centers—reporting that 30% of its facilities are damaged, the Gilinski donation target is highly strategic.
By focusing entirely on hospitals and schools, the private funds will bypass general bureaucratic delays to directly target community recovery. This rapid funding model is designed to get children back into classrooms and ensure medical staff have safe environments to treat the thousands injured.
President De La Espriella has declared this the "worst earthquake of the 21st century in Colombia" and has pledged a comprehensive public-private partnership to rebuild. The historic contribution from the Gilinski family sets a powerful precedent for corporate social responsibility in Latin America during times of extreme crisis.
