Additional Context: This information 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.

While USAID’s closure affected Colombia significantly, the Chocó department was left especially vulnerable. Chocó is the poorest area in the country and has been a historic hotbed for armed conflict between rebel groups who compete for control of strategic drug trafficking corridors and illicit economies. The now closed Youth Resilience program was implemented by ACDI/VOCA and meant to disrupt the trajectory of young people engaging in violence.

Source: Devex