The U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, has worked in Colombia for decades and partners with a range of Colombian stakeholders, including democratically elected governments, private sector, civil society, and marginalized communities.
USAID supports Colombia's efforts to invest in its historically marginalized and violence prone territories, said Peter Natiello, Senior Deputy Assistant Administrator for USAID’s Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean in recent Congressional testimony.
“First, to strengthen state presence in those territories. Second, to advance sustainable licit economic development in those regions. And third, to create a culture of citizen rights and responsibilities associated with democratic governance. We support implementation of the 2016 Peace Accord because it creates the conditions to achieve those objectives,” he said.
The Colombian Peace Accord strengthens the conditions for developing the agricultural bounty of the Colombian countryside while conserving Colombia's rich biodiversity and expansive tropical forests. USAID's long term commitment to these regions has enabled thousands of farmers to abandon coca production in favor of licit agricultural products.
USAID recognizes that despite the signing of the Peace Accord and the important advances in human rights over the past decade, attacks against Colombia's human rights and environmental defenders have risen in recent years, said Deputy Assistant Administrator Natiello:
“For this reason, USAID continues working with Colombian partners to protect human rights leaders and environmental defenders, prevent violent attacks against them, and reduce impunity for these crimes. More must be done to address this violence, and we're committed to ensuring it remains a top priority of our foreign assistance.”
In addition to the challenges of building peace in the country's marginalized regions, Colombia and the broader region are confronted with unprecedented migration from Venezuela. In response, Colombia has created a model for migrant integration that holds lessons for this hemisphere and beyond, said Deputy Assistant Administrator Natiello:
“USAID is partnered with the government of Colombia as it implements generous, temporary protective status and regularization policies which help Venezuelans fleeing the disastrous Maduro regime and helping integrate Venezuelans into Colombian society deters them from having to make the dangerous journey through the Darien Gap.”
After more than five decades, Colombia has taken important steps toward peace, security, stability and prosperity. The Colombian people still have much work to do, and the U.S. is committed to helping them fulfill their potential.
