In February, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos will visit Washington, D.C., to celebrate the 15 years of cooperation between Colombia and the United States that have helped transform Colombia from a state teetering on the edge of failure to one on the doorstep of a historic peace agreement that could bring an end to the longest-running internal armed conflict in the Western hemisphere. The visit also will provide an opportunity to define the next chapter in one of the most important bilateral relationships in the Americas.
At the center of the preparations for the visit stands Colombia’s ambassador to the United States, the Honorable Juan Carlos Pinzon. As a former minister of defense and secretary general of the presidency, as well as a long-time confidant of President Santos, Ambassador Pinzon provides a unique perspective on the recent history, current state, and potential future of the U.S.-Colombia relationship.
Please join the Center for American Progress for a discussion with Ambassador Pinzon on the upcoming visit and the issues that will lie at its core.
Welcoming remarks:
Vikram Singh, Vice President for National Security and International Policy, Center for American Progress
Distinguished guest:
Juan Carlos Pinzon, Ambassador to the United States, Republic of Colombia
Moderators:
Daniel Fisk, Chief Operations Officer, International Republican Institute; former Senior Director for Western Hemisphere Affairs at the National Security Council
Daniel Restrepo, Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress; former Senior Director for Western Hemisphere Affairs at the National Security Council