Agora Centro de Convenciones
Bogotá, Colombia
July 17, 2018

MR. SWIFT: We're going to move on to the next discussion and what I think will be an incredibly important conversation. We are honored today to be joined by the administrator of USAID, Mark Green.

ADMINISTRATOR GREEN: Matthew, great to be with you.

MR. SWIFT: Thank you so very, very much for coming. Administrator, I just want to talk about a few things. First, you have been a long-time watcher of Colombia, in your entire career as I understand it. What sort of changes have you seen take place in Colombia?

ADMINISTRATOR GREEN: Well, I think the changes really fall along several lines. First off, I think we're starting to see some of the dividends of the peace process. We're seeing crime beginning to fall -- and so that's good for stability -- economic growth, and I think the outreach to communities is rising. I think we're also seeing Colombia, rightly, begin to assert itself as a leader, not just locally and regionally, but even on the world stage. So, you're seeing Colombia ascending to becoming a NATO partner, being part of the OECD, a great partner of USAID, and working on regional challenges like crime and security in the Northern Triangle. So, certainly seeing those very positive developments. Also seeing challenges, clearly challenges in effectuating the promise of the peace process. As I have been travelling around the country, we've heard over and over again of the need to really build a state presence, a governing presence, in communities that feel as though they have been forgotten.

And, of course, in many ways the other change that I've seen -- the other challenge that I've seen -- is a significant one, and that's the influx of Venezuelans. 1.6 million Venezuelans* have come to Colombia. Those are the official numbers, it may be much higher. I had a chance to go to the border myself yesterday and see it. 5,000 new Venezuelans coming to the country each-and-every day. And that, of course, presents tremendous challenges: logistical challenges, financial challenges, and potentially challenges to governance in those communities. So, for the most part, tremendous positive changes. But I think that Colombians would be the first to say that there are clearly new challenges on the horizon.

MR. SWIFT: USAID is incredibly well-known in Colombia. Do you mind just sharing for everybody just how large is USAID's presence in Colombia today?

ADMINISTRATOR GREEN: Well, you know, it's difficult to measure in many ways. You can take a look at the numbers that we have here, the more than a hundred staff that we have here and the programs, you know, on the humanitarian front, the $32 million that we provided to Colombia -- Colombian organization to help deal with the humanitarian crisis of Venezuelans. But I would argue that our presence here is far greater than that. We have partnered in a number of ways throughout the country to build capacity of institutions, so we've really appreciated the partnership. It's been our honor to work with Colombians, and we're very excited about some of the new opportunities that we've been discussing with our friends in Colombia.

This is a country of enormous potential, not only domestically, but I think increasingly on the world stage. Maybe the best way of looking at it -- USAID and our American partners, as we talk to countries we can say things that need to be done; Colombia shows what needs to be done --

MR. SWIFT: That's right.

ADMINISTRATOR GREEN: -- and they're proof of model in a lot of ways, so the partnership is thrilling for us in so many ways.

MR. SWIFT: That's fantastic. You talked a little bit about your trip yesterday and the Colombian border with Venezuela. Was there anything that you experienced, or you saw yesterday that has changed your mind on anything? Have you seen the situation get worse, get better -- and how would you -- how would you describe the situation? Sometimes I've been in rooms, and I've sometimes referenced it as a potential refugee crisis. But sometimes people don't always agree with that classification, so how would you describe what's happening and what could happen?

ADMINISTRATOR GREEN: Well, first off, it is a crisis. It is, any way you look at it, is a crisis. So, several things: first and foremost, it's a man-made crisis. The responsibility for this crisis lies across the border in Venezuela, the tyrannical rule of Maduro. His policies have destroyed the economy in Venezuela, have chased people out, and brought untold suffering to millions of Venezuelans, many of which are now fleeing the country because they can no longer survive. They can no longer live there. What I saw that surprised me. I expected when I went to that famous bridge to see a flood of Venezuelans coming our way. And I did. What I didn't anticipate was also seeing a stream going the other way.

So, there were, to me anyway, a remarkable number of Venezuelans who leave their homes at 3:00 in the morning, walk four and five hours to cross the border to get food they cannot get at home, medicine they cannot get at home, in some cases education. There were six bus loads of kids coming over -- they cannot get at home, spending their time here in Colombia, and then going back at the end of the day, or going back after a few days. That was a surprise to me. So, that was perhaps the biggest surprise. But, you know, I've had an opportunity to see displaced communities around the world. And a couple of unique features here -- this one's real time.

Every day is a new crisis -- 5,000 crossing the border per day -- so, unlike a lot of situations where we are dealing with a displaced community, this is a displacing community, or a community being displaced. It's happening as we see it. And its implications, not just for Colombia, but for the entire region, in countries like Brazil, also, as far north as the Caribbean nations. They're telling us they're starting to feel the ramifications. So, this is very serious, it's international, and it has the potential to be destabilizing in some places, so it's very serious.

Final point, I think we all owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to the Colombians. Even with all of the burdens it necessarily brings, still as I walked across that bridge, there was a banner that said in Spanish: "Welcome." And they recognize the kinship they have with Venezuelans, and so they are welcoming from a sense of compassion. They see the suffering Venezuelans coming over -- it's just that we all recognize it presents logistical and other challenges.

MR. SWIFT: Let's talk -- you mentioned the region, as a whole. And the destabilizing effects that a Venezuela can have. Give us, sort of, your take on the region today. How do you feel? Do you feel optimistic for Latin America?

ADMINISTRATOR GREEN: Oh, certainly. I am very optimistic. I think you look at Latin America, you look at the hemisphere, and it's perhaps divided into several camps. You have those countries that have embraced what the Vice President dusted off, originally Thomas Jefferson, call, "a hemisphere of freedom." And so, you see Colombia. You also see Brazil. You also see Peru, who are taking on challenges of corruption, who are looking to add new vibrancy to citizen responsive governance. And so, you see those nations. You see other nations that are clearly at a crossroads moment. Countries like Guatemala and Honduras. They need to take on these challenges of corruption and transparency in government, and inclusive development, and it's really an important moment for them. But then you see a handful of nations that are moving in the opposite direction. We talked about Venezuela -- and again, I think Venezuela -- which was once the wealthiest economy in South America, which should be a country helping lift others out of poverty, is a driver of despair.

But Nicaragua -- what's happening in Nicaragua as we sit here today is an atrocity. It's an affront, I think, to freedom and the rest of us in the hemisphere. And you also have countries like Cuba, which continue to have a despotic rule, and they continue to really stamp out all the voices of diversity and freedom of conscience. So, you see tremendous rising, you see key moments for other countries, and just a few countries which seem bound and determined to extend tyranny.

MR. SWIFT: Can you comment a little bit on your vision overall for USAID? What sort of, what kind of changes are you making? What is your long-term vision for USAID's role in countries like Colombia, but globally?

ADMINISTRATOR GREEN: Well, so, ever since I've arrived at USAID I've tried to make clear what my philosophy is, and what I think the philosophy of the agency is, and that is that the purpose of foreign assistance, of international assistance, must be to eliminate the need for its existence. What that means is: we need to help countries become more self-reliant. We need to help countries that are willing to make tough choices, take on tough challenges, do difficult things, to build their capacity to rise to lead their own bright future.

What I always say is: as Americans, and I think it's the same for Colombians, that sense of self-reliance is in our DNA. And so, where we see our friends and neighbors who are making those tough choices, we need to walk by their side, and we need to help as they can, as we can. And so, that's the driving philosophy. And we've been looking to redesign ourselves, reorient ourselves around that vision, so that we partner closely with countries like Colombia as they rise, and we partner with them to help force projection as partners to help other countries rise, so that all countries can continue in that journey of self-reliance, because I think that's human nature. I think that's what they really want.

MR. SWIFT: How can -- and as you know, we've known each other for quite a few years, from your time at IRI, you've been a partner of our organization for some time -- how can organizations like Concordia, that focus on public and private sector cooperation and thinking about how they can work better together -- how can broader civil society, you think, really play an even better, more enhanced role, at a time obviously that we're seeing, oftentimes one sector can't address these issues alone? So, maybe using the example of what's happening on the Venezuelan border, how can organizations like Concordia or organizations like IRI -- how can we have a better, more significant impact on situations like that?

ADMINISTRATOR GREEN: I put it in two different ways. Number one, the role of civil society organizations is extraordinarily important as we try to emphasize that value of citizen responsiveness. Civil society allows us to organize the voices of the citizenry, and to bring them before their government. So, civil society groups ranging from Concordia and IRI and others need to be a voice for the voiceless, need to be pushing back and emphasizing those values, human values, that are so important. That's one way.

Secondly, increasingly at USAID, we're interested in enterprise-driven development. Traditional assistance isn't always the answer, and sometimes it isn't the best answer. So, we're interested in working with NGOs, with businesses, in looking to co-design, co-create, co-finance new initiatives that create sustainable development opportunities.

You look at Colombians. Colombians aren't looking for handouts. They're looking for hands up. They're looking for ways to create economic opportunity. And so, I think we can help steer some of that in partnership with Colombia, but it really is civil society groups, and private enterprise coming together. Let's partner, let's figure out what the best paths forward are, what those best ideas are, to reach those results that we all believe in. So, I think that the opportunities have never been greater. This really is a special moment, I think, in the hemisphere. And quite frankly, I think in development around the world.

MR. SWIFT: Well, and I understand you'll be giving a speech tomorrow, I believe it is, to the Colombian Congress --

ADMINISTRATOR GREEN: Yes.

MR. SWIFT: -- outlining your vision and what you see taking place here. At this Summit, we've been covering a wide array of issues. We will provide summaries and recommendations going forward, of course, but thank you so much for being here.

ADMINISTRATOR GREEN: Oh, my pleasure.

MR. SWIFT: The role of USAID in the world is something that, as an American, I'm incredibly proud of, so thank you for being here today.

ADMINISTRATOR GREEN: Oh, my pleasure, thanks. Good to be with you. Buenos dias.

The number of Venezuelans who have left their country for Colombia, is approximately 1 million.