On the morning of 10 August 2026, a magnitude 7.4 earthquake shook western Colombia. In Pereira and across Risaralda, the days since have been about people first: safety, search, shelter, and the slow work of figuring out what still stands.
To those who lost their lives, to their families, and to everyone injured or displaced: our respect and our solidarity. No schedule and no conference matters more than that grief. We stand with you.
Pereira Tech Day 2026 is postponed indefinitely.
That decision is not a pause on the community — it is respect for the moment we are in. The planned venue was the Universidad Tecnológica de Pereira (UTP). Gathering for a conference while the campus and the city are still assessing damage would be the wrong signal. Edition details remain on the Pereira Tech Day page.
What UTP has communicated
UTP was our planned home for the day: Auditorio Jorge Roa Martínez. The university published a public statement outlining a recovery path after the quake.
From that official communication: the priority is the safety and well-being of the university community. Work includes a needs census, structural evaluations, remote academic and administrative continuity, and a progressive return once spaces are certified. Campus entry is currently restricted. Follow official UTP channels only for campus status — not rumors in group chats.
We attribute campus and recovery claims to UTP. If the university updates the comunicado, treat that page as the source of truth.
How the tech community can help
In a crisis, this community usually asks the same question: what can we actually do?
Corag is a social-impact ecosystem that connects people who want to help with people who need it. In Ayuda Directa you publish a need, someone takes it on, contributions stay attributable, and every delivery leaves public evidence — live map, verified coordinators, Coffee Axis priority.
There is also a WhatsApp group where people have already talked with developers of several aid apps to centralize efforts. Join if you want to help from code or logistics.
Take a request. Offer what you can. This week asks for coordination, not spectacle.
What happens to Pereira Tech Day and PTT
There is no new date. When it is safe and responsible to gather again — and when UTP and partners can host us — we will announce it through the usual Pereira Tech Talks channels.
From Pereira Tech Talks, we are pausing all of our activities until further notice: monthly meetups, Speaker School, La Biblioteca del Mañana, the AI channel, and any other community gatherings. People affected and the city’s recovery come first. Do not assume that August 22 — or any other near-term date — still stands.
Closing
We are with neighbors and colleagues. We are also builders who know how to show up with logistics, care, and open tools.
If you have energy to give, lean on Corag and on those already coordinating aid. If you need space, take it. The conference can wait. People cannot.
