Express and Shout

On Feb. 27, 2010, 8.8 magnitude earthquake hit Chile, killing 800 and leaving at least 2 million people homeless.

Tommy Lopez ’10, who studied abroad at the Catholic University of Chile in Santiago last year, said he immediately contacted his friends in Chile when heard the news.

His friends told him “that everything started shaking, and they tried to leave the building because they were afraid the building would collapse on them,” he said.

Jonathan Gary ’11, who interned in Chile last year, said a friend in Chile told him that “the earthquake caused lots of broken glass and fallen picture frames, but no significant structural damage overall.”

Following the disaster, Chilean President Michelle Bachelet declared a “state of catastrophe” for the country.

Lopez lauded Bachelet’s response to the situation.

“The President of Chile has responded very well to the crisis,” he said. “She has held press conferences with different committees to eliminate water shortages and food shortages.”

But politics professor John Londregan disagreed, saying, “the government was slow to call out the armed forces to assist in rescue activities and to keep order, with unfortunate consequences.”

The earthquake that hit Chile is the fifth largest since 1900, lasted for 90 seconds, but multiple aftershocks continued in the capital city of Santiago throughout the afternoon.

President Obama offered support and assistance from the United States to the Chilean people.