Supporting Colombia’s Local Peace Councils

The purpose of this program is to support Colombia’s efforts to enhance state presence in conflict-affected rural areas, consistent with the 2016 Peace Accord with the FARC. It aims to strengthen the capacity of local governments and enhance interagency collaboration with other local and national government institutions. Greater governance capacity at the local level is expected to build community-level resilience and confidence in the peace process, diminish opportunities for non-state armed groups to recruit vulnerable populations, and mitigate political instability. The program supports the U.S. National Security Strategy, which directs the United States to “catalyze regional efforts to build security and prosperity through strong diplomatic engagement.” It recognizes Colombia as a leading regional security partner in Latin America, and the need to affirm this partnership and reinforce Colombia’s ability to cement peace throughout its territory. This support is particularly important as Colombia addresses increasing challenges, to include the influx of 1.8 million Venezuelans and persistent narco-trafficking threats. Helping to increase state presence in Colombia’s conflict-affected rural areas will serve U.S. national security objectives.