Tuesday, March 11, 2025
10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. EDT
Join us for a crucial discussion on the complex landscape of drug policy and coca substitution in Colombia with the country’s chief of police, Carlos Fernando Triana, and Gloria Miranda, the director of the government’s illegal crop substitution program. The discussion will cover the challenges in addressing coca cultivation, eradicating drug trafficking and dismantling criminal networks, and the country’s role in enhancing regional security.
The Georgetown Americas Institute is pleased to welcome Director General Triana and Gloria Miranda for a discussion of the historical context of drug policy in Colombia, current initiatives for crop substitution, and alternative development programs that support farmers and communities. The session will be moderated by Denisse Yanovich, GAI managing director.
This conversation will take place only in Spanish and will be streamed to the GAI YouTube channel.
Featuring
Carlos Fernando Triana is the director general of the Colombian National Police. In his more than 33 years of service, his career has been marked by effective leadership and a commitment to public safety. He graduated as a second lieutenant in 1993. He received specialized training in judicial police, intelligence, and security. He earned a master’s degrees in strategic thinking and foresight. He held numerous leadership positions, including intelligence chief, police station commander, and liaison officer. He led successful operations against drug trafficking and organized crime, including the capture and extradition of criminals involved in the murder of a Drug Enforcement Administration agent. He directed strategies to combat theft and prevent terrorist attacks. He served as deputy commander of multiple police departments. He commanded the Metropolitan Police of Bogotá, achieving significant results against the "Tren de Aragua" criminal organization. Finally, he served as Inspector General, focusing on police integrity and anti-corruption.
Gloria Miranda is the director of the illicit crop substitution program in Colombia. She is an historian with a focus on political science and obtained a master’s degree in peacebuilding (cum laude) from the Universidad de los Andes. She completed postgraduate studies in economics from the same university. Previously, she was the director of drug policy of the Colombian Ministry of Justice and Law, where she led the participatory formulation of the National Drug Policy 2023-2033 “Sowing Life, We Banish Drug Trafficking.” She has served as a staffer in Congress on issues related to drug policy and implementation of the 2016 peace agreement. She has worked in territories affected by the armed conflict and the presence of illicit crops, such as the departments of Cauca, Putumayo, Nariño, and Norte de Santander. She worked in international cooperation initiatives, including participation in the Commission on Narcotic Drugs in Vienna and work with the International Organization for Migration (IOM-UN).
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, DC, 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.