At GFMD, City of Maicao Joins Call to Local Action for Migrants and Declares Colombia’s First “Neighbourhood of Peace”
Copyright: Municipality of Maicao
Maicao, 2 September 2025.
The Mayor of Maicao, Miguel Felipe Aragon Gonzalez, officially declared La Pista a Peace Neighbourhood (a ‘Barrio de la Paz’) —an initiative aimed at creating safer, more inclusive, and more resilient places to live.
The announcement was made under Municipal Decree 297 of July 9, 2025, following national guidelines set by Colombia’s Ministry of Housing through its Peace Neighbourhoods Program, which supports the transformation of vulnerable communities. The declaration was announced on the first day of the Global Forum on Migration and Development, held in Riohacha.
La Pista is the largest migrant settlement in Latin America, and home to more than 9,000 people — including Venezuelan migrants, returning Colombians, and Wayuu Indigenous families. Its community faces scarcity of food and water, and a lack of access to basic services, including health care, reproductive health and access to education.
The ‘Barrio de la Paz’ initiative aims to transform the neighbourhood by setting up a coordination structure which allows both national and local government, as well as community leaders, to come together and bundle resources and action.
Recognising the neighbourhood as a “Peace Neighbourhood” marks the start of a transformation process focused on:
Decent housing: Legalising land and improving homes so families can live with dignity.
Basic services: Expanding access to clean water, electricity, sewage systems, and other essential services through partnerships with the national government and international organisations.
Peaceful coexistence: Creating local Peace Neighbourhood Committees to bring diverse communities together, build trust, and improve safety
Community development: Investing in public spaces, infrastructure, education, and job opportunities to empower residents and strengthen the neighbourhood.
This milestone reflects Maicao’s commitment to Colombia’s broader goal of Total Peace and migrant inclusion. The Town of Maicao will also showcase its work through our Call to Local Action for Migrants and Refugees, and seeks support from international partners to further roll out and scale its work.
The Local Coalition Secretariat visited La Pista with the mayor and his team on the sidelines of the Summit and had the pleasure of meeting with the women leaders of the Pista neighbourhoods.
