I've brought the little detail. Look how cute. But I want a picture with both of them. But you can take up to two photos if you want. Come on, come on, come on. I am an ambassador, brother. Did you do this? Yes, we hold the workshop there, Mr. President. But brother, we barely noticed. We said it was the first time we released anything, brother. But wood. Wood. Yes sir. But super cute. I'm going to put it in my office. I belong to whoever goes where. Two poems. Help me. Put the camera on it. Doña Gloria Inés. Yes. I will follow myself in two poems. How nice. I am in the Come on, general, come on. There it is, brother. Come on , oh sure, little brother. Come on, come on. I'll take a picture of you first. Thank you, my brother. Wonder. Thank you, brother. Thank you so much, really. I love it, love. Look how cute, huh? Now you've given it some prehistoric teeth. Ah, because I bite harder. Hey, they should organize the defenders who are outside so that everything... Thank you for taking it to the office in Barranquilla. I do n't know how this works, but we already asked them if they'll let us in and how, thanks brother. And do you work with wood? We've come to shove our dicks up the town. Congratulations. Thank you. No, no, no. Let's get started. I don't know how long people here are waiting. At this moment, the President of the Republic of Colombia, Dr. Lardo de las, is entering, accompanied by the sab that we didn't arrive, cool, my brother. Thank you. Very good. Thank you so much. Thank you. Good, good. Williamero Presidente, thank you for everything. Thanks for everything. Welcome, Mr. President. Thank you, brother. Good morning everyone. Welcome. Mr. President, thank you. With the greatest pleasure, with the greatest pleasure. Thank you. Hello, hello. Hello, everyone. Good morning. Good morning everyone. We extend a warm welcome to the 20th Century Club in Quimbaya, Quindío, where the President of the Republic, Dr. Belardo de las Priella, arrives accompanied by the First Lady of the Nation, Mrs. Ana Lucía Pineda, and the government team, reaffirming their commitment to lead the process of care and reconstruction of the department after the earthquake that struck the country on August 10th. We greet the people who are following us in this broadcast through the website of the Presidency of the Republic of Colombia and its social networks. To begin this event, I invite you to stand and sing the national anthem of the Republic of Colombia. Oh glory and immortal malice is of sorrows. But as from pains that will look, you will release at night the sublime freedom you will pour out. The auras of complete solitude that lives in chains, the words of the cross. Oh glory in immortal gentleness in surges of pain the womb of the womb of pain will be. Next, the chaplain of the Presidency of the Republic, Father Rodolfo Londoño, will speak, offering a prayer for the victims of the earthquake that occurred on August 10 in Quimbaya, Quindío. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Father of glory, in the name of your son Jesus Christ and in the power of the Holy Spirit , we place ourselves in your hands of love and mercy. Today we gather here with whoever comes with a grateful heart and full of hope. Your word says, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth shake." Psalm 46. Today we want to place in your hands Quimbalaya, Quindío and this entire coffee region that has suffered the consequences of the earthquake. We ask you especially for the affected families, for those whose homes, businesses, crops and everything they had built over so many years were damaged, for those who still feel fear, uncertainty or worry about the future. Fill them with your love, heal their hearts, strengthen them, and bind up their wounds. Help them to rise up and help us to be instruments of your blessing. Lord, bless these donations that are being given today, the materials bank, the vouchers, everything that is going to be given, may it multiply for your glory and honor. Bless the president and all local, regional, and national authorities, that they may be instruments of your blessing, that this aid may reach those who truly need it and be not only material assistance, but also a concrete sign of hope and that Colombia has not abandoned them, that together we can move forward. Lord, bless especially this people of Quindío, this people of Quimbaya, so that from this difficulty we may rise more united, more supportive and stronger. Where the earthquake left wounds, let us help rebuild hearts. Where fear once reigned, let us sow hope today. And where someone feels they have lost a lot, may they find a helping hand to assist them in starting again. Bless whoever goes there, bless Quindío, bless the coffee region, bless each of these families, bless Colombia and our government. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Thank you so much. Thank you very much, Father Rodolfo Londoño. The next speaker is the mayor of the municipality of Quimbalaya, Mr. Juan Manuel Rodríguez Brito. Good morning everyone. Mr. President. What a privilege to have him in our municipality, especially in this situation we are experiencing. A very special greeting to the various citizens who are with us today, to my friends, the mayors, colleagues who I see are with us , the various businesspeople who support the national government, and also to the various businesspeople who have been here since the first day, since August 10th, when anyone who came needed that support and that accompaniment, but above all that embrace of solidarity that has never been lacking. A special and symbolic greeting also to all those volunteers who came anonymously, many of whom we do not know, many of whom we could not identify, we do not remember them by name, we do not remember them by face, because they came in a time of great need and made their presence felt and said, "Whoever goes is not alone." And it is here that I thank my friend Yavid, who was present here from the first day and collaborated with us in that essential, very important work. Governor, it's wonderful to have you in our municipality at this time, where our citizens are waiting more than ever for a definitive solution to a problem that, let's say, Mr. President, despite the institutional efforts and the joint work we've done between the Governor's Office and the various ministries—and I'd also like to take this opportunity to greet you, Mr. Minister, thank you for being here—because when the Ministry arrived, the resources, the impetus... And let's say that the energy we had was fading, and then this balm arrived and said, "Here is the national government," and its contribution, its presence, and above all, its mediation with the private sector have been extremely helpful. Quiená is a municipality of nearly 50,000 inhabitants, and our economy is based primarily on tourism, but also on agriculture. Today, the two sectors we've worked so hard to build, that we've worked on for so many years and so many generations to achieve that positioning and recognition at the national and international level, have collapsed . Today, paradoxically, what a few years or a few months ago... Our Minor Basilica of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, our church, Mr. President, filled us with pride. On May 2nd of this year, it was recognized by the Vatican and elevated to a Minor Basilica. And it has been more than a religious symbol, more than an architectural symbol; it is a symbol of identity, a symbol of resilience, of what our church represents for us who inhabit it. It represents our essence, our heritage. And today, more than ever, we are demonstrating once again that Quindío, and Quimbalaya in particular, recovers in the face of adversity. And today we see faces here of people who lost much more than a house; they lost hope, they lost faith, but above all, they lost their home. Because a house is four walls and a roof, but a home is where one shares with family, and that is what many citizens in our municipality have lost—victims and people who not only suffered the tragedy of August 10th, but also tragedies that had been brewing for some time and that life is now reminding each of us of. We understand how fragile it is, but above all, how fleeting moments are and the importance of spaces like this. Mr. President, to tell you, we are aware of the difficult task you have faced, on the first working day of your administration, of your government, with so many plans and projects in your mind, with your entire team, and on the very first working day, we are faced with an adversity like this. We are also aware that starting a government is difficult, and a tragedy of this magnitude, which is undoubtedly the greatest tragedy in our country's recent history, is a tragedy of this magnitude. More than 400 municipalities, nearly half of the departments affected, some more than others. Whoever was privileged, and I believe there is no explanation other than a miracle for what happened in Quio. Mr. President, today we have a figure that does not fill us with pride because life is life, and we would not have wanted any fatalities. But regarding what happened in our municipality on August 10th, we currently have nearly three neighborhoods in The ground was damaged, and several homes suffered damage. According to the census conducted jointly with all the relevant agencies, out of our 50,000 inhabitants, approximately 20,000 people have been affected. We have a report of 698 homes, if my memory serves me right, that's the exact number, completely destroyed by the earthquake. Today, the municipality has two shelters. Several friends here have been in the shelters since day one, since day ten, because we opened them immediately. And I want to share with all the friends who are here today from Bogotá, the businesspeople, a somewhat personal experience, but one that fills me with pride. In my personal case, I am proudly Colombian, but above all, proudly from Quimbaya. In this tragedy, we were able to see how, in the face of adversity, our homeland, our nation, our citizens, came together. We all supported each other, and together we demonstrated why Colombia and why Colombians have such a strong international reputation and recognition. Dear, from kind, supportive people. People came here from Boyacá, Cundinamarca, Nariño, Antioquia, from many regions, from the Atlantic coast, the Caribbean coast, and they came with a show of support. We have this help. Everyone gives according to their means and abilities, but beyond the material things they brought, it was the symbol, the demonstration for us that in the face of an adversity like the one we were experiencing, we were not alone. And that is what has allowed us to stand today . And it has happened that when you feel your energy waning, when your morale is wavering a little, and you feel you are close to the end of being able to take or continue taking the initiative to solve the problems we are experiencing, an angel always arrives , a person always arrives, a call always comes that motivates and reminds each of us who have been here since day one, facing this head-on, and reminds us of the most important thing: why we are doing it. Today, Mr. President, beyond asking you for many things, because the municipalities Like Quimbaya, a sixth- category municipality that, for many reasons, we shouldn't be, because the reality is quite different. We had a cadastral update process underway that allowed us, or rather, that we dreamed of, being recategorized in the next administration. But with what happened on August 10th, that dream and the investment the municipality made with a loan are now postponed because tax collection will obviously drop somewhat, and it won't be a priority for many citizens, nor will it be a priority for the administration to implement coercive measures regarding property tax payments and collection. Today, the largest job creators in our municipality are the municipal administration and the tourism sector, headed here by Mr. Jorge Valen of Panaca. And today, both of us are affected. Today , I believe we are both in a process of budget cuts and updates to see how future development will unfold over these remaining 16 months. Simply put, Mr. President, two specific issues. We have our minor basilica, a symbol, an identity, heritage. And today we haven't been able to decide whether to intervene or in what way, whether there's a possibility of saving it or demolishing it, a process we as citizens would not want. And here I ask you for the first favor, which isn't very big, Mr. President. We need the resources to be able to conduct these studies and make a decision regarding what might happen to our church, because in addition to what it represents as a symbol and as part of our identity, our church is located in the main square. For those who don't know, it's a structure, a building 44.3 meters high, which apparently has damage in its upper section. The engineers who have come to do the inspections tell us that this affected area weighs about 250 tons. We need to intervene in the municipality, and I think it would be difficult, with all due respect to the engineers who are with us, to find the machinery and professionals with sufficient technical knowledge in the region to make the decision, because today, as citizens, we want to save our church. Today, as mayor, I want to save the dream of the people of Quimbuno. It is that our church continues to be that symbol of identity, but above all, that it continues to be, now more than ever, that symbol of resilience that we need in a time of sadness. And Mr. President, we have a project that we have been working on since the second week after the earthquake. The need today of all the residents of Quiayuna who are with us here, who were invited to this event and who will receive a contribution and support from the national government, and who will also be that symbol that the nation today arrives, whoever comes, but not just with a greeting or a photo, as many perhaps feared. They come with actions and with realities. These citizens today represent what Kim Vaya is. People who are affected today, people who lost a large part of what they built throughout their lives, and whose homes are gone . Today their homes are a 2-square-meter tent where they have their belongings and where they are with their entire family. But I want to invite you, Mr. President, to help us complement not a dream, not a utopia, because we in the municipality are aware that An opportunity like the one we have today, and what we're seeking is n't to return to the reality before August 10th at 7:34 a.m., because to think that the reality of whoever comes next should be the one that existed or that we knew before, I feel is mediocre, I feel it lacks aspirations, and we are not in this situation that God has placed us in today to leave with less than what the people on the street have and the expectations that the people on the street are expecting. That's why we want to, and have been working diligently, particularly with the governor's office. We have a topographic survey of the land, we already have the housing census regarding the current needs of the municipality, and we want to have housing in our municipality that will allow us to meet that need, but we also want to dignify those families, not to be left with what happened in the 1999 earthquake, when many national and international entities, NGOs, and others were present in solidarity and helped us to move forward. But sadly, at that time They weren't thought through, there wasn't much foresight, and a neighborhood today that was a relocation or the result of the relocation caused by that earthquake shows us that houses with structural deficiencies, inadequate water supply, and many other problems have arisen and become evident since the handover of those homes. Today, Mr. President, we want to dream of decent housing, decent homes that will allow all these citizens who have lost everything to recover what is most important: faith and hope. The invitation, Mr. President, is for us to once again stir the heart of Colombia and for everyone to follow the path we have focused on during these two long years of administration: recovering that sense of belonging that you are also fostering with the nation. And that is why today I say to you with all honesty, Mr. President, I am proud to have believed in your proposal. I feel proud and identified with you, as we Colombians needed, and I thank God that you are the president leading this process and this very difficult challenge, because For the great challenges, as I was discussing with the Minister, now come the warriors that life and God have prepared to face them with dignity. That is why your presence today is so important to us, the presence of the entire team, the presence of all the business leaders, to whom I also express my gratitude for all their support and solidarity from around the world. Because today, more than ever, Mr. President, thanks to you, I am proud to be Colombian, but above all, Mr. President, proud to be a Quimbuno at heart, and today, as mayor, I say to you, thank you for being here. We have complete faith and hope in you because we know you have the ability, you have the knowledge, but you have something very important that pains you. And today, Quindío has suffered four years of institutional neglect because, politically and ideologically, the thinking of the previous government was not shared by the vast majority of citizens . Sadly, municipalities like these, those in our department, today the vast majority, do not have projects submitted to the ministries. Why? Because we went to the ministries at the beginning of our administrations and they rejected us. They didn't pay attention to us, they didn't listen to us. So, we faced a decision: either we invest what little of our own resources we have in developing studies and designs that will end up gathering dust in a ministry in Bogotá, or we come and meet the direct needs of our population. And today, as mayor, I have the obligation to assume that responsibility. We don't have many studies and designs because we decided to focus on recovering what we had, and that's what we've done: take care of our public resources because they are limited, because they are scarce. And today, 80% of the progress in this recovery—I say this with pride—we have achieved thanks to the efforts of the different entities, the support of the citizens, but above all, thanks to the support of the municipal administration team, whom I want to thank today. They have been fully committed since day one, but especially to my mother, who has been in charge of the collection center since day one, making sure that those resources aren't lost, ensuring that the resources reach where they need to go. That's what motivates us, that's our responsibility. Mr. President, we have worked, we have done Very much. I know that with your presence here today we will be able to continue, and with the presence of Dr. Ana as well, it's wonderful that she has joined us and that they are here to learn firsthand about the situation in our municipality. Therefore, once again, thank you very much, Mr. President, thank you very much to the entire delegation, thank you very much to the business leaders who are here today. Whoever goes will continue working because today, more than ever, whoever goes must demonstrate why we are Quimbunos at heart and why we are capable of recovering our identity. Thank you very much. Thank you very much, Mr. Mayor. Next, the Governor of the Department of Quindío, Mr. Juan Miguel Galvis Bedoya, will speak. Good morning to everyone. A very special greeting. Thank you, Mr. President, for visiting us. A very special greeting to our First Lady, to the ministers who are with us today, and to your staff who are committed to the reconstruction of our coffee-growing region. But I want to give a very special greeting to these people, to these young men, these young people, these men who have lost their homes today, but Don't lose hope. I know you would like the national, departmental, and municipal governments to solve your problems overnight , but you must understand that this is a man who, when he took office on August 10th, took charge on the very first day of his term, and what we are seeing today is a real commitment to our communities, and for that I want to congratulate you, Mr. President. Truly, thank you very much to our business leaders who are visiting us today. I want to give you a message: you as business leaders, we as the departmental government, we as the municipal government, and the national government, together we will make this miracle happen. Dr. de las Priella and mayors, thank you very much for joining us. I take this opportunity to express my heartfelt gratitude. First, to God for allowing us to continue living, to the people of Quindío for giving us their strength and encouragement to keep going. And to the Colombian people and the international community for the support you have given us, and to you, Mr. President, for the helping hand you have extended from the national government when we needed it most. Mr. President, today Quindío It doesn't present such a bleak picture in terms of victims, because we learned from the 1999 earthquake. But that doesn't mean the crisis we're experiencing on various fronts isn't serious. And for that reason, allow me to present to you, as leader of the national government, a broad overview of the immediate needs this crisis demands we address, and for which we need the greatest possible support, without neglecting all the effort and limited resources we have as departmental and municipal governments. We have called the reconstruction of our department " Together We Will Make the Miracle." It requires resources of approximately 2 to 2.5 trillion pesos, with all issues being priorities in this reconstruction. And today I want to begin by starting with our coffee-growing tradition. Mr. President, today our farmers have lost their processing plants, their tanks, their pulpers, their ice chests. More than 100 coffee farms are being affected by the earthquake. And what we want today is to work hand in hand very quickly because the coffee harvest is coming up, and at its peak... We have the peak in November, and today we urgently need to help them rebuild the processing facilities that our farmers have lost. More than 5,300 families in Quindío depend on our coffee production. It is imperative that we reactivate our economic activity. This activity has been disrupted by the impact on tourism, as well as by the effects on our commercial industries. Mr. President, today I want to highlight and tell you the sad story of my department. Today, tourism and hotels are suffering. We had between 70% and 80% hotel occupancy in the department of Quindío, and today, unfortunately, we only have 14% occupancy. Merchants, business owners, and all the people of Quindío have been affected by the earthquake of August 10th. There is no money circulating to buy, produce, or sell. The two previous points I mentioned about our farmers and tourism, Mr. President, add to the situation of those directly affected by the earthquake. Fortunately, today we have the resolution of your The government gave the municipality of Quimbaya approximately 100 million pesos in subsidies for you. But today we need other solutions for the municipalities of the Quindío department, such as Armenia, Calarcá, Circassia, and Montenegro. And this is what we need, Mr. President, is your help quickly to solve these major problems in the temporary shelters. The uncertainty of not having a roof over these families' heads is immense. And that is the commitment that gets me up every day at 2:00 a.m. to think about what we are going to do for our people in Quindío. We are waiting for those subsidies, Mr. President, as well as for what you can provide us with a large, consolidated bank of materials for the entire Quindío department, since you are delivering one here in Quimbaya today to continue addressing the housing needs of our municipality and the Quindío department immediately. As our mayor mentioned, there are housing issues, but today I want to... to give him an overview of the Quindío department. More than 21,000 homes affected, 5,000 homes affected in the rural area, 3,000 homes that have now completely collapsed in the department and today we are seeing how to solve this great problem of our Quindío residents. Another situation that currently appears as a threat is to the economy of our families, Mr. President, and today I want to give you specific data on what we are suffering. The application of resolution number 1032 of 2026 issued by the Drinking Water Regulatory Commission, CRA, which is mandatory and establishes a tariff adjustment for public services in Quindío, ranging between 8, 18 and 26%. Mr. President, the governor, the mayors, and the service providers request your intervention if possible. before the CRA so that the immediate effects of that resolution are suspended and we can achieve its non-application for the time being until our Quindío families have been able to overcome this difficult moment that we are facing. We are not talking about not paying, we are talking about doing so under conditions that are consistent with reality and that this immediate non-payment does not affect the service providers in the region. We continue to rely on the helping hand of the national government because we currently have more than 32,000 school children in the public sector. I want to tell you that out of the 267 educational institutions in the department of Quindío, 200 institutions are currently affected. We have to demolish more than 11 institutions throughout the Quindío department. And something I want to tell you today about the University of Quindío, the most important center of higher education in the region, recognized in western Colombia, suffered great damage that requires resources exceeding 170 billion pesos to be able to reactivate our university. Finally, the health sector, Mr. President, has been hit very hard. San Juan de Dios Hospital, the third, fourth and fifth floors. We also had to evacuate the La Misericordia Hospital, which was also affected. Likewise, the Montenegro Hospital and 20 other hospitals were affected, with fewer problems, but also affected today. The reconstruction of the health sector is worth approximately 180 billion. Therefore, Mr. President, I want to reiterate that although the number of victims in Quindío was not high, we do have situations that, if not addressed, will have very serious consequences and will generate real victims. This situation, I reiterate, we can only avoid if we continue to count on your helping hand, which has been so generous during this month of intense work, and which we hope will continue to be clasped with our hands so that we can proudly say, together we will make the miracle happen. Thank you very much, Mr. President. Thank you, Governor of Quindío. Ladies and gentlemen, the President of the Republic of Colombia, Dr. Abelardo de las Priella, now addresses you. Good morning. Good morning. A very special greeting to all of you, a particularly warm greeting to the people of Quindío, especially to the Quimbaya community, to the beneficiaries of the financial aid we are delivering today and the construction materials, and to all the people who are with us today , to the business owners who have been so generous and supportive. Thank you to each and every one of you for your presence, your commitment, and your unconditional dedication to this wonderful land. Thank you especially for your willingness to join efforts and wills in favor of the reconstruction of our miraculous homeland and the building of a better future for our communities. A special greeting to the First Lady of the nation, to my wife Ana Lucía Pineda, to the Governor of the Department of Quindío, Juan Miguel Galvis, thank you. Governor, to the mayor of the municipality of Quimbaya, Juan Manuel Rodríguez Brito, to the officials of the national government who are present here today, to the Minister of Housing, Aime Andrés Beltrán, to the Minister of Commerce, Mauricio Gómez Amín, to the manager for the regions Valerie Laforí, to the director of communications of the presidency of the Republic, María Fernanda Sandoval. To my special guest, a great friend from Italy who will be joining us on all matters related to investment in international trade in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, my dearest Andrea Longuinotti; to the Deputy Director of the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management, Hernandarío Díaz; to our chaplain, Rodolfo Londoño de la Espriella; to the officials of the Quindío Governorate; and also a very special greeting to the officials of the Quimbaya municipality, to the business owners and representatives of the construction sector who are helping us in this wonderful endeavor. to the representatives of Prosemco, Manuel Lascarro, Claudia Uribe. Thanks to Nazarro, Alberto Vargas Ayala of Aferry, Caerine Gómez of Acesco, Colombia, Juan Sebastián Osorio, Alejandro Bedoya of Agregados de Occidente, Carlos Andrés Cerna of Steel Resources, the Colombian Society of Engineers represented by Urierospina, Jaisán Albersi of Trefilados de Colombia, Gabriel Concha of the Coordinadora de Naciones of the Mayor's Office of Armenia, Camacol Quindío represented by Andrea Arango, María José Cubillos, Jorge Alberto Cerna, Construcciones Bienes Raíces represented by Mr. Mauricio Garay, Juan Guillermo Urrea of ​​Ingenia Construcciones, Santiago Castaño and Marcela Castaño of Constructora Centenario, Ángela Patricia Sánchez and Juan Sebastián Restrepo of Constructora Poporo, Mr. Joan Alexander Londoño and Mr. Jaime Andrés Osa, Johan Willington León and Manuel Conrado of Constructora Ingenobarc, the representatives of Cementos Argos, María Isabel Cárdenas, and Juliana Cuellar de San Gován, Angélica María Cortés and Federico Castro of Fiber Glass, Valentina Escobar and María Alejandra Escobar of Procon Concretos, María Paola Tobón and David Acevedo of Sica Colombia, Mr. Juan Carlos Patiño and Georgius Barazutos of Global Hidro Colombia and my good friend Jorge Valen of Panaca. Where is the commander? It's great to see him here in his homeland. Stand firm for the homeland. Thank you, dear friends. Let's first address the concerns and worries of the mayor. Mr. Mayor, you can count on a team of experts made up of civil and structural engineers who will be able to carry out the technical evaluations of our minor basilica. And likewise , rest assured that we will guarantee the availability of resources. We'll take responsibility for whatever it costs and we'll start working on it now . And I agree with you. I agree. I agree with you. It's not about rebuilding what was there, it's about rebuilding the miraculous homeland that will be better than it was before the earthquake. So this is also an opportunity. The governor was talking to us about projects, as was the mayor. Let's move them forward, let's accelerate them. Count on me to make this year and 5 months you have left with me into four. In a year and a half with you, we're going to do what that bunch of lazy people who left the previous government, thank God, didn't do in four. With us it's quick. With us it's fast, don't worry. We're going to move forward and we also have an announcement regarding the 5,000 coffee growers you mentioned. We have already received approval for 15 billion pesos from the Colombian Federation of Coffee Growers for those 5,000 farmers. Count on it. We were doing things quickly because there was a desire to help. My only ambition is to put my country in the place it deserves and to help our people. That is my only ambition, that is my purpose, and with God's help we will achieve it. The homeland, dear compatriots, continues to mourn the compatriots who lost their lives in that tragedy on August 10. And I'm not going to complain, that was my first day on the job. I'm not complaining. My wife knows, I never complain. I keep moving forward. I am a stoic. Furthermore, God gives the toughest battles to his best soldiers. And all of us who are here were chosen by God to deal with this crisis. It is not by chance that we are here. This is a divine plan and we will fulfill it as befits our country and our people, with the patriotism and fervor that our homeland and our people deserve. I want to tell you that this area of ​​the country has a history made of hard work, effort, drive, of people who have never been afraid to start over . History teaches us that the fruit of that formidable expansion that opened paths here in this wonderful land, that founded towns and turned these beautiful mountains into one of the most prosperous regions of Colombia is the fruit of hard work. Nothing here has been given to you for free. Nothing here has been given to you for free. Everything has been worked on and fought for with great effort. With coffee came growth, trade, entrepreneurial families, and a culture of effort and honest work that ended up making one of the most emblematic areas of this country a national pride. Believe me, the coffee region is a source of national pride for all of Colombia . I am proud of this land. Much of our nation's past has been built on this land, and the future of our nation will be built here, hand in hand with people like you. Look, and I want to share something very personal with you. Despite the adversity and the painful situation we are experiencing, I am happy to be here. For many years I have felt the warmth of this land, the affection of its people and that optimism so characteristic of the people of Quia who, even in the midst of adversity, continue to transmit strength and a desire to move forward. And I want to tell you that this fills my heart and gives the tiger strength to keep fighting for you and for the rest of Colombia. The nation will never forget these coffee-growing lands from which came the wealth that helped sustain the national economy for much of the last century and carried the name of Colombia to the most remote corners of the planet. I was telling my dear friend Andrea that much of the coffee consumed in Italy is grown in this land, and we have to make sure that what happens in Italy happens in Colombia. In Italy , not a single coffee plant is planted because Italy is not part of the coffee circle, and everyone talks about Italian coffee, which is a mixture of Brazilian, Colombian, and Ethiopian coffee. The magic begins here and this product makes us proud because coffee is the lifeblood of Colombia and has reached every corner of the planet. And I haven't forgotten that thanks to the coffee production of this land, our economy was able to sustain itself in the last century. I will never forget it. I have two flaws, or I have many, I just lack two flaws. I am neither a coward nor ungrateful, and I will always be grateful to this land for what it has done for Colombia and the pride it has made us feel when we think about the coffee region. Quindío, Quindío knows prosperity, but it also knows tragedy. The 1999 earthquake left a wound that still remains in the memory of the people of Quia. It destroyed a large part of the city of Armenia, hitting thousands of families. It forced an entire generation to start over after having lost almost everything. And how did Quindío recover? with work, with solidarity, with courage and with that determination so characteristic of the people of this magical and blessed land. Homes, streets, shops, and buildings were rebuilt. But something even more important also emerged: the confidence that it was possible to get up and carry on, the confidence to look towards the future. Rebuilding is not just about putting back up what nature has destroyed. This task means offering solidarity and support to those who have lost a loved one. Thank God, we didn't have as many losses of human life here . This task also means providing support and solidarity to recover not only the material aspects, but also the moral ones. Because a house is not a place with four walls made of cement and bricks or blocks and iron. It's more than that. It is a home where dreams are built, where bitter times are endured surrounded by family, where laughter is shared with a child's embrace and the encounter with a beloved woman. And that's what we're going to do. We are going to rebuild what nature knocked down, but we are also going to rebuild the spirit of the people of Quindío so that they can help us rebuild our miraculous homeland. I do not believe in a possible miracle homeland without the decisive help of the coffee-growing region, Quindío, and this land which, I insist, is the pride of the nation. The purpose of this visit today, dear friends, is not only to remember how this city and this land were built three decades ago, but to explain the decisions the government has made so that this department receives the help it deserves, in the time it deserves, with the responsibility it deserves, and with the speed it deserves. Quimbaya has been one of the hardest hit municipalities and from day one I wanted to come here. Here, according to the records, there are more than 5000 affected families, Mr. Mayor and Mr. Governor. We have mayors from other municipalities, right? Thank you, Mayor. I did n't greet him. How awful. The military headquarters left the mayors out of the picture. A round of applause for them as well. Thank you. There are more than 5,000 affected families and more than 11,000 people who are directly suffering the consequences of the earthquake. One compatriot lost his life and 59 were injured. To the family of the deceased and to those who are still recovering, I want to express all my solidarity and affection. They are not alone. The president is here with you. Nearly 3,000 homes were damaged in the municipality and 578 were destroyed. A health center, 16 educational centers and 27 roads were affected. Faced with a situation of this magnitude, the government cannot just stand idly by. This week we signed 11 emergency decrees to give the departments and municipalities hit by the tragedy extraordinary tools that will allow them to act quickly and address what truly cannot wait. A few days after the tragedy, the mayor can't lie to me. We were here. The unity was here and yesterday, the day before yesterday, we signed in the Council of Ministers the decrees that gave rise to the Miracle Fund to channel and manage the recovery resources and prevent all that money from ending up lost among procedures, offices and decisions that do not arrive on time. The possibility of accessing Fompet resources on an extraordinary basis was also opened for a one-time only . These are resources that will help expand the response capacity of territorial entities, the governor's office, and the mayoral offices within established conditions and without ever losing sight of the fiscal responsibility that we must have. All of those requests were the result of meetings with governors and mayors who told us, "We need these tools, we're going to solve it." And we told them, "Here we are." And we did it, and we also share that vision because it is the clearest and most expeditious way to address this whole situation. Likewise, the use of Fondes resources has been temporarily authorized to help ensure the continuity of public services where the infrastructure or operation has been affected by the earthquake. You are absolutely right, and we have already done that and we are going to expand it to what you have requested today. And a very important announcement, dear compatriots, the national government has opened a special tax-for-works program to address the damage caused by the earthquake. We want the private sector, the entrepreneurs, to join in with resources, experience and execution capacity. So, they do some work for us and we deduct the taxes on that work. And I want you to know that this government's determination is absolute. Municipalities and departments can also jointly finance certain works, and we have recognized this in the decrees that were signed this week, even when these works are located outside their administrative boundaries. You've already read them, right? The decrees, I see they're stuck in limbo . Already. Very good. The reason is simple. An earthquake doesn't ask where one municipality ends and another begins. That's why that tool. A road, a bridge, a school, an aqueduct, a health center can serve an entire region. The reconstruction, dear people of Quindío, must be done thinking as a country and region, not individually as departments and municipalities. We have affected almost half of the departments in Colombia. Now I want to talk to you about housing, because that is undoubtedly one of the biggest worries for families who lost their little house. Today, 152 tons of construction materials are being delivered . cement, bricks, paint, pipes and hardware items. Yellow machinery has also been made available to support the recovery efforts. The initial project aims to carry out 369 housing improvements in Armenia, Finlandia, Salento, Calarcá, Pijao, Córdoba, Latebida and Genova, with an investment exceeding 7700 million pesos. For Quaya, don't worry because the mayor saw me looking a bit tipsy. I didn't hear Kimbaya there. Name, what do you mean? Don't worry. For Quimbaya, dear mayor, we already have the first house donated by Procon concrete. A round of applause for Procon Concrete. My deepest gratitude for that generosity. Another objective of the national and local government is to move forward with the Bosques de Marsella priority housing project . Once the works are completed, we will have 160 new apartments here in Quimbaya. What do you think? From the very beginning, I have resisted talking about housing as if it were mere statistics, mere numbers. Here we are talking about families who need to recover a decent home, and why not? to improve what they had, which is the purpose, as you have rightly pointed out, dear mayor. We're going to put in the effort to make that happen and accelerate the departmental water plan, because we ca n't talk about housing without service. Do we agree? Very good. The ministry headed by Jaime Andrés Beltrán identified 16 aqueduct projects in Quindío worth approximately 18 billion pesos that need to be unblocked, and we will do so with the determination of the government and the help of God for all the people of Quindío . This tragedy gives us the opportunity to solve problems that come from before, and we agree on that. The message is this, my dear compatriots. If we're going to get up, we have to get up better. As the affected families have been able to confirm , financial aid has also already begun to be distributed. They are no longer just symbolic deliveries. but fulfilled commitments. I do n't like making promises. I am not a politician, I don't come from politics, I come from the private sector. In the private sector we don't make promises, we make commitments and we keep them. Whoever it is, the beneficiaries of those aid programs are receiving 787,900 pesos per month for the first 3 months and we will extend it if necessary. In total they will receive 2,363,721 pesos for the first 3 months . This support, as I mentioned, can be extended for up to 3 more months for those who are owners according to the conditions established so that they can access that extension. And to avoid confusion, I want to make it perfectly clear that the financial support is focused on families whose homes were destroyed or left uninhabitable. Those are the conditions. Families whose homes were affected, but remain habitable, will receive kits of materials to carry out the repairs determined by the technical teams, because this ca n't be done haphazardly either, right? I'm going to build a wall here, not just for a little while. Let's characterize it and have the technician say, "If it's possible, why are n't we doing anything? We have to prepare, God forbid, for another event to occur and be prepared like Armenia." Look what happened to Armenia. Armenia was destroyed by the 1999 earthquake. Things were built to meet earthquake resistance standards, and there it is. Armenia resisted. Families need to be clear about something. We are with you, we will support you, and we will rise together as a country. At this point I want to say something very special to the mayors, taking advantage of the fact that there is a large group here. For the national government, it is fundamental, crucial, essential, and a priority to know exactly what happened in each municipality in order to properly organize the recovery. You have the responsibility for the deeper characterization because nobody knows a territory as well as its mayor, and you have to give us that information accurately. The deadline for submitting all that information was set for September 17th, and today, 204 municipalities across the country, from all the affected areas, have still not sent us the information. and we only have 5 days left. We need to, regional managers, Mr. Minister and risk management unit, put pressure on the mayors, as they say, to send us the information properly. Without information, the reconstruction cannot be structured correctly. The government has also made progress in road reconstruction. The main road of Quimbaya, dear mayor, which suffered significant damage, was reopened just 4 days after the tragedy. We sent it to invij right away and I told them, "They'll rebuild it and fix that for me on the spot." Everything here is from 4 days ago. Here we need to make up for lost time and regain people's trust in their institutions. This is a government that is committed to Colombia. The elections have already passed. I am the president of all Colombians, and as long as a Colombian needs me, I will be there. So, what should we do? Restore the 27 tertiary roads that are currently affected. And I also tell you here, and it is a commitment, a promise, we are going to build new tertiary roads in the municipality and in the department. These tertiary roads, which are the first ones, the 27 that are most affected, require more extensive works. But Invías has a clear instruction. Everything that needs to be done for Quindío, everything that needs to be done for those people who are the pride of Colombia. I have Quindío in my heart and I know that I am in the heart of Quindío and I have placed special emphasis on recovering the roads because building a road is much more than laying asphalt, it is enabling paths of development for our farmers, for the connection between our municipalities, between the departments, to take the products to the sea, if you will, so that there is a future, so that there is progress, so that there is development. Now, regarding educational infrastructure, here in Quimbaya we have a report of 16 affected institutions. However, among the affected institutions, we are urgently prioritizing two that have the most students . Quimbaya educational institution located in the urban area with a degree of imminent risk according to the characterization that has already been made. At risk of collapse. There we have or had and we are going to have again 570 students and the Policarpa a la Barrieta educational institution located in an urban area with a degree of imminent risk of collapse, 973 students. These two educational institutions are prioritized for reconstruction in a first stage with an investment of 5 billion pesos for each one, and we are going to do it. We sent humanitarian aid from the very beginning. If you need more, here's the first lady. We will send you tomorrow whatever tons of humanitarian aid you need because we are here to serve and to embrace each other under a single common idea, an idea that is Colombia, the homeland of our children, our homeland and the homeland of our future generations. So all my love and support to this wonderful land. I ask God to bless Quindío, to protect its families, and to give comfort to those who still weep and grieve for the loss of their homes. that family who lost that loved one. May our Lord transform pain into hope, difficulty into work, and this great and hard trial into an opportunity to rebuild a better Quindío. This country will rise again because Colombians are used to adversity. Colombians, like the phoenix, occasionally rise from the ashes. That is the story of our nation. All these towns, all these regions, our country itself has moved forward, despite the violence, the drug trafficking, the narco-terrorism, the criminality, which we are going to defeat. Just because we are focused on reconstruction, I have not abandoned the country's security in only 34 days of government. And we have done so with our public force, for whom I ask for applause, our heroes, police officers and soldiers. Nearly 75 tons of drugs seized, 16,000 bandits arrested. recovery of territories where the State did not previously exist. We are going to rebuild, but to rebuild we need security. And the bandits already know how hard the tiger bites, and I'm coming for all of them wherever they hide. To rebuild Colombia, we must think about the cornerstone of security. Nobody here wants anything for free. He wants to avoid being extorted, kidnapped, and for his son to be able to ride a bicycle on the street without fear of being killed for having it stolen. And we're going to achieve it. That is the cornerstone of the reconstruction. Not just brick, cement, and iron. The cornerstone is family and security. And I will defend both of them with my life if necessary. May God bless this wonderful land and give us the strength, the fervor, and the passion to continue fighting for you, for us, for our children. And I want you to know that today more than ever the President of Colombia stands firmly for Quindío, firmly for whoever goes there, and firmly for the nation. May God bless them. Thank you very much, Mr. President. Ten of the people receiving financial assistance are in the audience. Valen left. Valen is a veteran too, but where are the real ones? A round of applause for our veterans, please. Here there is a river with a military house. Military house. Clear. Which municipalities do we have mayors of , please? Montenegro. Circasia Montenegro. Salento. Salento is so beautiful . Finland. How beautiful. Finland. Cordova. Genoa. Thank you, dear mayors. Montenegro. Clear. We're going to help them. Ah, let's leave all the requirements here with Alcalá. Dear Mayor, thank you for being here. We are going to gather all the requirements with the regional manager and we will submit the form to all the municipalities. Well, don't worry, Quindío has a president. Thank you Mr. President, thank you mayors, and thank you to the veterans of our National Army. Ten of the people receiving financial assistance are in the audience. We invite all attendees to please take a seat. We must continue with the agenda and we would appreciate it if you could give us that opportunity. We remind attendees to please take a seat. Those standing in the parallel and center aisles, please help us by taking a seat and following the appropriate logistics and safety protocols for the event. Let's continue with the event, please. Many thanks to the mayors, many thanks to the veterans. Please take a seat so we can continue with our agenda; our order of business should not be altered, please. We appreciate the cooperation and willingness of each of you to take your seats and restore order to this room. Genoa, Genoa, Salento. No, but wait for it, of Italian origin, of Italian origin, of Italian origin. Let's see how we can sponsor cities like this one. Thank you. We thank everyone for their attendance in each of their seats. We must continue with the agenda. We have a scheduled agenda. We also understand the timing and the euphoria of the moment, but we must continue, please, for safety, for protocol purposes, we are going to move forward with this agenda that we have in the beautiful department of Quindío. Let 's move forward, please. We appreciate the silence in the room and ask that everyone take their seats because we are going to move on to a very important event on this agenda . We are now going to begin. Ten of the people in the audience are beneficiaries of the UNGRD's financial aid. These beneficiaries and all those registered in the ROUT who have lost their home or cannot live in it, may claim the respective financial support at the headquarters of the logistics operator selected by the department, presenting their identity document every month for 3 months. In the case of Quimbaya, a category 6 municipality, the support will be 787,907es per month for a total of 2,363,721es per person. This every 3 months, for 3 months, sorry. If the beneficiary owns the home, the financial support may be extended for up to 3 more months. As I call you, please come forward for the official photo. Rafael Antonio Castro Jiménez, Juliana Vélez Lozada, Juber Barragán Romero, Angi Rojas García, Vladimir Olguín Giraldo, José Restrepo Palacio, Franklin Orlando Toro Hernández, Gabriel Jaime Giraldo, Marisol Carvajal Vélez, John Démosle, please, a big round of applause for the beneficiaries. We're back. We appreciate that you can return to your spaces. Thank you very much and congratulations to you and all your families. We invite the general manager of Proconcreto Prefabricado SAS, Mr. Juan Vicente Escobar, who together with the president will deliver a house to Mrs. María Rosario Brito Benavides, affected by the earthquake of last August 10 here in Quimbaya Quindío. del rosario, along with her husband and three daughters, have faced two great tragedies. On the 16th, listen, but these houses, I want one for myself, they're really beautiful. Ah, they're really pretty. What lovely little houses. Come, Maria Rosario, come, come, stand here next to me. Come, tell us your story. This year, Mr. President, has been very hard for me because on February 16th at 12:30 at night, due to some homeless people, I lost my house in a fire. I have three daughters, we were left with nothing, only with our pajamas on. Thanks to the mayor's office I had been able to recover my house again, and with the earthquake I returned, I lost everything. But look, here's your little house, see? Look, see. And look at the key to one of their houses. No, this is the way there. Look at the Rosary. Thank you, thank you to Proconcreto. This would have been impossible without private entrepreneurs . A round of applause, please. Thank you so much. Many thanks to Procon Concrete. Thank you so much. With this important contribution, the national government and private companies reaffirm their commitment to the reconstruction of the Milagro homeland. Added to our agenda is the delivery of some substations. The President of the Republic will give us this good news for our department of Quindío. Look at this marvel. The company Global Hidro is donating a hydroelectric power plant worth €800,000. See whoever it's for, see. Thank you, please. This is for whoever is going. Thank you so much. Where are you from? Ah, okay. You speak Spanish, so I was going to practice then. Oh, I'm going paisa and no. I'm from Greece, how come , brother? Greece, which will be a district of whoever goes there. Thank you for this donation, thank you because this is a wonderful solution. Yes, it's something we want to do, we definitely want a Greek guy with that Paisa accent, what is this , brother? No, uh, my mom, my mom is from Quindío. Ah, okay. So, we really want to support the region, Colombia, and we definitely want to show how Global Hydro teaches and brings these kinds of ventures here. Thank you very much, the fact that the Marti plants are being built in Colombia will generate employment, and that is what the company has wanted to do. And look at this, and I want to say it clearly here before the government, all the companies that are helping us in this tragedy are going to have a lot of work with us, because just as you have helped our people, for that help and solidarity, you have to have a close relationship with the State, because the business owners have reached into their pockets, they have shown themselves to be more supportive than ever and we have to make a kind of points system. so that they have priority in all contracts with the State, because they have done it and that must be acknowledged and appreciated. We must be grateful for that because they have done it, and they have done it decisively, and I know without any self-interest, but we must support them just as they support our people, dear minister. A round of applause and thank you. Thanks to Global Hidro, Mr. Mayor. Come on. And what is that? The key or what? What's that? Ah, the special little turbine. Ah, how wonderful. A round of applause for Global Hydro. Thank you, thank you. That's how it is. to the photo. Come on, with this important delivery, the national government and private company reaffirm their commitment to the reconstruction of the miracle homeland in Quimbaya. Let's give a big round of applause to all the attendees, please. The mayors, bring me the mayors. The mayors are there, brother. Bring that painting, it's good. Ah, but with the Ah, okay. Mayors, let me through, mayors, please. With the reservation, I'll meet you there. with the mayors. This concludes the present event. Thank you so much to everyone. Have a nice afternoon,