Long hailed as the United States' strongest ally in the region, Colombia's relationship with the United States has centered on a strategic partnership shaped by security cooperation, economic ties, and shared values. Since Plan Colombia (1999), one of the most significant US foreign aid initiatives to combat drug trafficking and strengthen democracy and security, Colombia and the United States have collaborated on economic initiatives—through the implementation of the Colombia US free trade agreement among other initiatives—, promoting peace and supporting post-conflict stabilization, and by attending the Venezuelan migration crisis and current integration challenges.
The Georgetown Americas Institute is pleased to host Colombia’s ambassador, Daniel Garcia-Peña, to a conversation moderated by GAI Managing Director Denisse Yanovich that will address the current challenges and future of the U.S.-Colombia relationship.
This session is sponsored by the Georgetown Americas institute and the Embassy of Colombia, Washington, D.C., and will be streamed live on the GAI YouTube channel.
Featuring
Daniel García-Peña is a Colombian historian, academic, and journalist serving as the Ambassador of Colombia to the United States. His career has centered on peacebuilding, international relations, and journalism. He holds a master's degree in Latin American political studies from the National University of Colombia and a bachelor's degree in political science and history from Belmont Abbey College in the United States. Throughout his career, García-Peña has held numerous positions. He served as the High Commissioner for Peace from 1995 to 1998 he was also the Consul General of Colombia in Paris from 2012 to 2015. In addition to his diplomatic roles, García-Peña has been a professor at the National University of Colombia, where he specialized in U.S. history and foreign policy. He was invited to teach at the American University in Washington D.C., where he gave a postgraduate course on war and peace in Colombia, between 1999 and 2000. He has also been a columnist for El Espectador and earned the Simón Bolívar Journalism Award for Best Column of the Year in 2011.
Denisse Yanovich (moderator) is the managing director of the Georgetown Americas Institute. Prior to joining Georgetown she was the deputy to the president at the Inter-American Dialogue, a leading think tank on Latin America. She also worked at the Embassy of Colombia in Washington, managing their Public Diplomacy program, and Fedesarrollo, an economic policy think tank in Colombia, as a research associate. Yanovich holds a B.S. and M.A. in economics from Universidad de Los Andes in Bogotá and M.A. in art history from the Courtauld Institute of Art, University College, London.