Jaime Andrés Beltrán, Colombia's housing minister, announced before the Senate's Seventh Commission that he will request an additional $4 trillion from the finance ministry for reconstruction after the August 10 earthquake. ^[1] Mayor Alejandro Eder of Cali announced that the demolition of buildings with irreparable structural damage will begin next week following the August 10 earthquake. ^[2] Beltrán cited Cali's 13,051 destroyed homes and 53,000 damaged homes from the earthquake. ^[3] Beltrán said the $700 billion currently earmarked in the 2027 national budget is insufficient for the reconstruction process. ^[4] Beltrán said the reconstruction will proceed in three phases: immediate aid until September 30, nine months of subsidies and services, and two years of new housing and urban renewal. ^[5] Machinery is currently working in Cali to collect debris from structures that have completely collapsed or suffered partial damage. ^[6] Mayor Eder stated that the tragedy has only just begun, as families face a prolonged process of loss and reconstruction beyond the removal of rubble. ^[7] More than 43,000 families have been affected by the earthquake, and 14 people remain missing as of the latest balance. ^[8]