 A peace process divides in two, peacemaking and peace-building. Peace-making is difficult, but peace-building is even more difficult. Over the past half century, Latin America suffered some of the world's most brutal armed conflicts and persistently high rates of violence. Nowhere has that been more pronounced than in Colombia, where nearly seven decades of ongoing armed conflict have left over nine million registered victims, including more than seven million internally displaced persons, and at least 230,000 deaths. The United States Institute of Peace's roots in Colombia run deep, thanks in large part to Virginia Jeanie Bouvier, who led the Institute's efforts in Colombia from 2003 until her passing in 2017. Jeanie not only supported local peace builders in some of Colombia's most conflict-affected territories, but she also provided technical support to national leaders and international advisors, and broadened civil society participation during the negotiations with the country's largest insurgency, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, which ultimately culminated in a ground-break in Pisa Court in November 2016. The agreement was a monumental achievement for the Colombian people and brought hope to the country. But more than five years later, the accord has proved insufficient as only one part of the web of ongoing conflict with other armed groups. Insurgents of the National Liberation Army, or ELN, paramilitary successor groups and growing FARC dissident factions still compete for control over communities and territory in a quarter of the country. Today, there are rising levels of violence, humanitarian crises, political polarization, and social intolerance. In 2021, USIP opened its first regional office in the heart of the capital city of Bogota. USIP now supports a broad range of peacebuilding initiatives in Colombia to advance reconciliation and to support negotiations seeking comprehensive solutions to the armed conflict. Our program facilitates dialogues in conflict-affected communities and provides advice to police, military, and civilian leaders on how to transform paradigms in security and justice for Colombia's diverse citizens. The Institute also has contributed to a final report of the Truth Commission and trained victims and ex-combatants in restorative approaches for the transitional justice tribunal. In 2019, USIP expanded its work to Venezuela, where a complex political crisis has led to depolarization and the flight of more than 20% of its citizens. There, the Institute empowers local women peacebuilders, backs public education campaigns for tolerance and pluralism, and strengthens independent civil society coalitions seeking to constructively rebuild its democratic institutions. USIP also helps bridge groups between Colombia and Venezuela to tackle humanitarian, public health, and security challenges, plaguing their nearly 1,400-mile border controlled by armed groups. Since the violent political crisis in 2019 in fellow Andean nation of Bolivia, the Institute has supported research and political dialogues as well as organized training and grants for youth peacebuilders and social activists seeking to overcome paralyzing polarization and ingrained geographic and racial animosities. In El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala, USIP facilitates dialogues, promotes the rule of law through local initiatives, and empowers youth to forge peaceful solutions to community challenges. In Nicaragua, the Institute trains young democracy leaders and consolidates insights from past dialogues in the hopes that future opportunities for political negotiations will eventually emerge. In Haiti, the Institute backs initiatives to forge successful national dialogue efforts seeking to overcome endemic governance crises. For all its challenges, Latin Americans have never stopped dreaming of a better and more peaceful future. At USIP, we will do our part to help with that aspiration. I can say with no doubt whatsoever that there's nothing more exciting and that brings more peace of mind than fighting for peace.