Floods Test Colombia, Panama, Venezuela

Heavy rains sparked states of emergency in Colombia, Panama, and Venezuela. In Colombia, eight months of downpours resulted in a death toll of over 200 and poses a major challenge for new President Juan Manuel Santos. Venezuela’s Hugo Chávez opened his palace and seized hotels to house the homeless, drawing criticism for politicizing the disaster. In Panama, the canal experienced its first closure in more than two decades.

After leaving the Ibero-American summit early to oversee relief efforts, Santos announced on December 7 a 30-day state of “economic, social, and ecological” emergency. The declaration included an allocation of $550 million for a new crisis center at the Ministry of the Interior and Justice, which will address the immediate need of people left homeless. Santos also declared the town of Bello, which suffered a mudslide last week that left homes buried and scores dead, a disaster site. Foreign aid began in late November, with Chile sending emergency kits and Brazil and Venezuela pledging funds. The World Bank also approved a $150 million emergency loan and the Inter-American Development Bank offered an immediate grant of $200,000 followed by credit of up to $1.2 million. With aid flowing in, the real test for Santos will be using these resources efficiently to execute the government’s three-phase plan: emergency, rehabilitation, and reconstruction. As blog La Silla Vacía asks, “Will this be [Santos’] Katrina or his miner rescue?”

Chávez’s approach to the catastrophe that displaced 124,000 Venezuelans included ordering the military to take charge of several hotels on December 6 and open them for people forced from their homes. He also invited 25 now-homeless families to shelter in his palace. But critics call Chávez’s handling of the disaster “haphazard and improvised,” that he politicized the events and that his government had to spend significant funds due to a lack of emergency preparedness.

Despite different approaches, the catastrophe drew neighboring countries together, with emergency funds flowing in both directions and reflecting the improved bilateral ties since Santos’ inauguration. Venezuela’s list of aid donors includes Brazil, Ecuador, Nicaragua, and Belarus.

The floods hit Panama later and, thus far, less harshly than the other two countries. On Thursday, President Ricardo Martinelli announced plans to declare a state of emergency starting December 10 in an effort combat the problem early on. Heavy rain caused the 17-hour closure of the Panama Canal on December 8 for the first time since the U.S. invasion that ousted dictator Manuel Noriega in 1989.

Learn More:

• La Silla Vacía asks what the flooding will mean for the Santos presidency.
• Panama’s Prensa offers frequent news updates about the flood.
• Panamanian Government announcement of state of emergency.
• Announcement of President Chávez's declaration of state of emergency.
• President Santos’ announcement of the state of emergency.