FACT FOCUS: Conspiracy theories falsely blame Colombia earthquake on Alaska research program

Theory Briefing

• A 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia, and within hours social media users were pointing at a research program in Alaska as the cause.
• The conspiracy theory is described as 'enduring' — meaning this same claim has resurfaced repeatedly after past disasters, not just this one.
• The Alaska program targeted is almost certainly HAARP, a real ionospheric research facility that has been falsely linked to earthquakes, hurricanes, and other events for decades.
• Fact-checkers label the claim false, but the pattern shows debunking alone hasn't stopped the theory from cycling back with each new disaster.