Gilinski family donates $150 billion pesos to rebuild Cali

A week after the magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck Colombia, the Gilinski family, the country's richest, announced a donation of $150,000 million pesos (about US$48 million) to rebuild hospitals and schools in Cali, one of the hardest-hit cities Source: euronewses. President Abelardo de la Espriella confirmed the news on X, saying he spoke by phone with Jaime Gilinski and his wife, Raquel Source: elnacionalve. The donation is among the largest private contributions so far, surpassing individual foreign government aid Source: lasillavacia.

The donation

The funds will go toward reconstructing hospitals, health centers, and educational facilities in Cali, according to a letter from the Gilinski family to the president Source: portafolioco. Mayor Alejandro Eder said the resources will be executed in the coming days, prioritizing the city's education and health networks Source: portafolioco. The family expressed that "Colombia cuenta con nosotros siempre" (Colombia can always count on us) Source: portafolioco.

Corporate response

The Gilinski donation adds to a broader corporate mobilization. The Andi's campaign #EmpresasUnidasPorColombia raised over $201,637 million pesos Source: elcolombiano. Other contributions include $100,000 million from the Santo Domingo family, $13,000 million from Grupo Argos and Nicky Jam, and $5,000 million from Ecopetrol Source: elcolombiano. In-kind donations include food, water, and construction materials from companies like Tiendas D1, Postobón, and Acerías Paz del Río Source: larepublicaco.

Impact and next steps

The earthquake has left 289 dead, 4,187 injured, and 143 missing, with 26,945 homes destroyed Source: hoydo. Reconstruction costs for Cali are estimated at $10 trillion pesos, and the process may take 2-4 years Source: lasillavacia. The government has called on the private sector to participate in rebuilding efforts Source: infobae.