Oenegés in Colombia «worried» to a possible usaid closure

Donald Trump’s decision to temporarily suspend the funds of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and after Elon Musk pointed out a possible closure of it in a cost cut campaign, It has generated concern in Colombia.

It is a «hard» blow to social and territorial projects in Colombia, they say Oenegés who work in transformation programs in the country, and have had the support of Usaid.

Eugenio Duarte, director of the Foundation for the Musical Integration of Colombia, Voice of America That in the situation “we must reinvent themselves and look for other options because at this time we are in a pause, many organizations have had to close and cease contracts of people. We really are very worried. ”

In that order, says Duarte, several of the projects that have put into operation have been thanks to the budget granted by the agency, and that if they are permanently closed, the continuity of future initiatives in matters of integration with a Venezuelan migrant community present in Colombia.

“If we don’t even have the office (USAID) goes to stop everything. That is why for us it is essential that support continues and that projects can continue to be developed here in Colombia especially in the case of Venezuela where there will be migration that will arrive and that needs to be integrated through social projects, ”he added.

For Manuel Rayran, Professor of International Relations at the Externado University of Colombia, the freezing of the USAID funds, which represent for countries such as Colombia an important contribution for the development of social initiatives, the fight against drugs and defense is a setback of human rights.

“The most affected countries with this 90 -day brake of the funds and the possible closure are those that are in development and in effect all this type of operations always go to the most vulnerable populations and that these money are reduced will have An impact on these vulnerable territories of these nations, ”Rayran explained.

Colombia, is the main country in Latin America that receives financial aid through USAID, with a budget of 400 million dollars in 2024, according to the United States external aid figures (US Foreign Assistance).

Of these resources, 206 million dollars were allocated to human rights projects, strengthening of justice, development programs and other social initiatives such as support for Venezuelan migration.

Ana Gómez, director of the «Venezuelans in Bogotá» platform, says that non -governmental organizations that have been key in the integration of the migrant community will feel the effects of this suspension because they depend on the USAID funds.

«There is a population that is pending to give the permission for temporary protection (ppt), those were financed with USAID and now they do not have it and many people have written about what they are going to do now, but we do not know what can happen,» said.

According to Jairo Libreros, a professor of the Externado University of Colombia, in case Usaid ceases to function means the loss of the installed capacity of the agency that has influenced the living conditions of millions of people for decades.

“It would bring consequences on the installed capacity in social organizations to work sensitive issues in security, justice and social development programs. That impact cannot be solved in the short term, ”he said.

From 100 % of the international cooperation that Colombia receives, according to official Colombian government data 70 % comes from the United States. Meanwhile, the official USAID website and its social networks They remain closedwhile the Donald Trump administration is considering incorporating it into the State Department, and commissioned its secretary Marco Rubio the interim leadership of this federal agency.

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