AirPod2 Hearing Aid not working

iPhone14 iOS 18.3.1

AirPod Pro 2 Version 7B21

Both were purchased in the US. However, I bought the AirPod 2 shortly before going to Cartagena, Colombia, S.A. for 5 months. I did not have time to work on the AirPod and didn't think I would have any problems getting it working when I arrived. I don't usually need a hearing aid where I live in NM but really wanted/needed it to work in Colombia, where I interact with many more people.

I can do the Hearing Test but not Hearing Aid.

In AirPods Pro 2 - Hearing Health Feature Availability - Apple I definitely see that Colombia is not an 'approved region'.

Does this mean that I cannot use 'Hearing Aid' in Colombia for the foreseeable future? If I went back to the US and finished the Hearing Aid setup, would it work in Colombia or would it automatically be disabled?

I just didn't anticipate a problem since it was purchased in the US.