A former participant in a USAID program said of those who did not have the chance to continue their participation due to U.S. funding cuts: “It's sad to see that today many of the young people who were part of that program are dead or in prison.”

Date: 2/26

Region: Latin America & Caribbean

Country: Colombia

Topic: Peacebuilding & Stabilization

Policy Lens: Security & Resilience

Entry Type: Field Observation

Additional Context: This quote was collected as part of The Aid Report's original reporting found in the Devex featured article "USAID moves out, gangs move in: The cost of aid cuts in Colombia." Our journalist traced the unraveling of years of prevention work in Colombia to better understand how gangs and armed groups were quick to exploit the vacuum left behind when this work was cancelled.

This quote is attributed to Luz Mely Moreno who participated in the ‘I Decide to Be’ empowerment program. She lives in the Reposo neighborhood of Quibdó in northwestern Colombia.

Source: Devex