In 2016, Colombia celebrated a crucial peace deal with rebel groups that ended decades of armed conflict and violence. The agreement, aimed at restoring order and aiding victims, gained significant backing from the United States. However, recent actions by the Trump administration to withdraw substantial funding from international aid initiatives, including dismantling the U.S. Agency for International Development (U.S.A.I.D.), pose a serious threat to this fragile peace.
Colombian experts fear that the cessation of this support could embolden rogue factions to disrupt the hard-fought peace established in 2016. “This puts wind in the wings of armed groups,” noted León Valencia, director of the Peace and Reconciliation Foundation based in Bogotá. The withdrawal not only jeopardizes the return of displaced farmers but also undermines promises made regarding accountability for war crimes committed during the decades-long conflict.
Historically, Colombia has received more financial assistance from U.S.A.I.D. than any other South American nation, totaling approximately $3.9 billion since 2001. As violence resurges in various regions, including small border towns like Tibu, those once hopeful about a peaceful future express growing frustration. “The government signed a peace agreement and didn’t keep its promise,” says Valencia, echoing the sentiments of many residents who now find their stability hanging by a thread. The repercussions of these funding cuts could be far-reaching, potentially escalating the very issues that the peace deal sought to resolve.
