WASHINGTON, Feb. 13 (UPI) -- The U.S. Agency for International Development announced a partnership Wednesday aimed at reducing crime and violence in El Salvador.
The agency said it will work with five Salvadorian foundations on the program, dubbed SolucionES, and has allocated $42 million. That makes it the largest USAID public-private partnership ever in Central or South America.
"This partnership is another example of how USAID is able to leverage private sector resources to multiply the impact of our funding," said Mark Feierstein, USAID's assistant administrator for Latin America and the Caribbean. "We are confident that with these five outstanding local foundations, we will be able to help reduce crime in El Salvador and remove the principal impediment to economic growth."
Plans include working with local councils on violence-prevention initiatives, establishing programs for young people and offering psychological counseling in violence-ridden schools.
The program is part of the Central America Regional Security Initiative. The agency's partners are Fundacion Nacional para el Desarrollo, Fundacion Salvadorena para la Salud y el Desarrollo Humano, Fundacion Crisalida, Fundacion Salvadorena para el Desarrollo Economico y Social and Fundacion Empresarial para el Desarrollo Educativo.
