The magnitude 7.4 earthquake that has devastated western Colombia is not only a humanitarian catastrophe, but also arrives in the worst possible political context: with a new government that has just taken office after a very close election that has left the country deeply divided, and where not even a peaceful transfer of power has been possible. Indeed, the new Colombian president, the right-wing populist Abelardo de la Espriella, suspended contact with the outgoing administration of the leftist Gustavo Petro, and now finds that, just three days after taking office, the vast majority of administration officials are still from the previous government.