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Gustavo Petro and Iván Cepeda criticize the administration's earthquake response and propose a left-wing tax reform.

Former President Gustavo Petro and Senator Iván Cepeda delivered a counter-address to President Abelardo de la Espriella's earthquake relief speech, criticizing the administration's ultra-right response to the disaster. Petro argued that the 30 trillion pesos needed for reconstruction should be funded by the wealthy rather than relying on private charity, and he proposed reviving his previous tax reform. He also criticized the government's transition process and the presence of Israeli rescue teams, labeling them as 'military intelligence on the ground' without sufficient experience. Cepeda supported the reconstruction plan and requested that the congressional service premium be redirected to earthquake victims. The opposition's intervention sparked significant criticism from conservative allies of the administration. Former Senator Ernesto Macías Tovar and analyst Germán Ricaurte questioned the feasibility of Petro's tax reform and criticized the tone of the opposition's counter-address during a time of national urgency. While Petro and Cepeda advocated for a left-wing approach to the reconstruction, the administration's supporters defended the effective deployment of officials and resources to the affected regions.

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