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USAID Information:
External Links:
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USAID Assistance to Colombia
WASHINGTON, DC 20523
PRESS OFFICE
http://www.usaid.gov/
Press: (202) 712-4320
Public Information: (202) 712-4810
2004-021
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 25, 2004
Contact: USAID Press Office
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Resources | FY 2000
Actual | FY 2001
Actual | FY 2002
Actual | FY 2003
Actual | FY 2004
Current | FY 2005
Requested |
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Total Program Funds
(In thousands of dollars) | $130,806* | $0 | $105,900 | $122,200 | $121,500 | $122,300 |
*Includes funding from the Plan Colombia supplemental appropriation
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Colombia program is focused on strengthening democracy, promoting human rights, eliminating coca and poppy production through alternative development and providing assistance to internally displaced persons.
Strengthening Democracy: USAID is strengthening democracy through improving access to justice, increasing efficiency and impartiality in the Colombian judicial system, as well as improving local government. USAID has increased access to justice for thousands of low income and marginalized Colombians by supporting the Ministry of Justice efforts to achieve national coverage of the "Casas de Justicia" (Justice Houses Program). Casas de Justicia focuses on establishing multi-agency information and service delivery centers that provide access to formal justice and dispute resolution services from a central location. USAID is also helping to improve the efficiency and equity of the Colombian judicial system by supporting Colombia's transition from an inquisitorial to an accusatorial justice system to increase the efficiency and transparency of legal procedures. USAID also works with local governments at the municipal level to improve management procedures and encourage citizen participation in decision-making activities. The emphasis is on promoting greater transparency in the local governing process, especially in financial management.
Promoting Human Rights: USAID is helping improve the capacity of local government institutions and civil society organizations to enhance human rights protection through a three-tiered approach:
- Strengthening Government of Colombia human rights institutions;
- Protecting individuals threatened because of their efforts to improve human rights and;
- Improving the Government's ability to prevent massacres and forced displacements of civilians in rural areas when armed terrorist groups compete with each other for control of territory.
In conjunction with the Ministry of Interior's Human Rights Protection Program, USAID has helped more than 3,293 human rights workers, labor activists, journalists and others who were threatened by armed groups. USAID has also worked with the National Ombudsman's Office to support development of an Early Warning System (EWS) that has provided 254 alerts to the Colombian military, national police and other state institutions when situations occurred that could lead to massacres or forced displacements. As a result of the EWS, government authorities responded to 179 of these alerts.
Alternative Development: USAID is supporting the Government of Colombia's efforts to eliminate coca and opium poppy by assisting farmers that want to eradicate coca and increase legal crop or livestock production. USAID is working with groups of farmers that want to eradicate drug crops and expand production of agro-industrial commodities as well as with entire townships that elect to eradicate drug crops in exchange for USAID support for construction of small infrastructure projects, food production or cultivation and marketing of legal crops. USAID is also financing construction of larger infrastructure projects to provide employment for farmers whose livelihoods were dependent on illicit drug production and to strengthen the cohesion of rural communities and increase their ability to resist drug trafficking in the future. Newly created USAID activities started in 2003 support agri-business and commercial forestry development to increase employment and income levels in secondary cities and rural areas where farmers have eradicated illicit crops.
Displaced Persons: USAID has provided support for more than 1.4 million persons displaced by violence or forced to flee their homes after receiving threats from guerillas, paramilitary groups or narco-traffickers. USAID works with non-government organizations (NGOs) to provide emergency assistance, as well as medium or long-term support for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). Most of the assistance is for physical and mental health services, shelter, water and sanitation, education, employment creation and community strengthening.
USAID also provides support for the rehabilitation of former child combatants. Between 3,000 and 7,000 child soldiers are thought to be serving in armed guerilla or paramilitary groups. A center (Proyectó Fenix) has been established to receive children that are captured by the Colombian Army or who escape from armed groups. More than 1,375 children have entered the reception Center thus far where they have received treatment, education and shelter.
For more information about USAID's efforts in Latin America and the Caribbean, please visit our website at http://www.usaid.gov/locations/latin_america_caribbean.
The U.S. Agency for International Development has provided economic and humanitarian assistance worldwide for more than 40 years.
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