On November 9, 2025, the Vélez and broader Santander regions experienced several minor, unfelt earthquakes linked to the Bucaramanga Fault system, a deep-seated structure along the western flank of the Santander Massif.

Shortly after, a geological fault triggered a landslide on the Transversal del Carare highway, about 1.9 miles from the epicenter. The collapse severed a vital route connecting Santander to Boyacá and the Caribbean coast, leaving the town of Vélez cut off.

Authorities have yet to find a solution to restore mobility, and the disruption has impacted more than 14,000 residents, most of whom rely on agriculture.

The dramatic footage of the damaged highway, posted to TikTok by @jennikrys, has now surpassed 41 million views, drawing global attention to the vulnerability of communities living near Colombia’s seismic zones.

'Jennikrys' told Newsflare: "It is very sad to see this, to see how families lost their land, to see how families had to leave their homes, to see how in the blink of an eye the place where you grew up is gone."

Es muy triste ver esto, ver como familias perdieron sus terrenos ver como familias tuvieron que marcharse de sus hogares ver como en un abrir y cerrar de ojos el lugar donde creciste se fue.