A Conversation with Iván Duque Marquéz President of the Republic of Colombia

The Dialogue is pleased to welcome back Colombian President Iván Duque for a wide-ranging discussion on his administration’s priorities and the future of US-Colombian relations. President Duque will discuss efforts to combat threats from armed groups and drug traffickers, his administration’s response to the deepening political and humanitarian crisis in Venezuela, and his plans to implement the peace agreement with the FARC and build productive relations with the United States.

On January 20, President Duque will be dealing with a new US administration, led by president-elect Joe Biden. The Colombian President extended congratulations to Biden on November 7, vowing to work with him to “strengthen a common agenda on issues of commerce, environment, security, and the fight against transnational crime.” Biden knows Colombia well, dating from his years in the Senate, when he supported Plan Colombia, and then as vice president when the Obama Administration backed the peace process with the FARC. In a recent op-ed, Biden said that he regards Colombia as a pillar of US policy in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The incoming US administration is expected to diversify the current bilateral agenda to put more emphasis on issues such as human rights, corruption, and climate change. A broader set of concerns creates challenges and opportunities for the US-Colombia relationship moving forward.

• What is the Duque administration expecting from the Biden administration and how will the Colombian government approach a Democratic-led administration?
• What are President’s Duque’s views on sustaining the traditionally bipartisan relationship between the two countries, particularly in light of the recent statements of some members of the Colombian Congress on the US election?

Please join us as President Duque addresses these and other questions in a conversation with Dialogue president Michael Shifter.