They call him the prophet Simón. He lives in downtown Medellín, has a white beard and a megaphone, and until a few weeks ago, hardly anyone paid much attention to him.
On June 25, after the earthquakes in Venezuela, he recorded a video on TikTok saying that Colombia was expecting a major quake. On August 10, at 7:34 in the morning, a magnitude 7.4 earthquake shook Chocó, Risaralda, and Valle del Cauca. It was felt as far away as Ecuador and Panama. Authorities confirmed at least 169 dead and 668 injured.
Now the man has returned to the streets of Medellín, and this time he is aiming farther afield: he says earthquakes are coming to Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Chile, Peru, Mexico, and even the San Andreas Fault in California. Social media was divided between those who believe he got it right and those who point out that Colombia shakes often, with no prophecy needed.