On October 20, the Inter-American Dialogue held a private conversation with Juan Carlos Pinzón, Colombia’s Ambassador to the United States.  Private sector and non-governmental leaders, as well as independent analysts, engaged in a frank exchange with Ambassador Pinzón about the future of the peace negotiations between the Colombian government and the FARC, after the ‘No’ vote won in the national plebiscite held on October 2nd.

Ambassador Pinzón reassured attendees of President Santos’s intentions to continue to pursue a peace agreement with the FARC and listen to the concerns and proposals of the leaders of the No campaign. He spoke about the long history of peace negotiations with armed groups in the country and the strength of Colombia’s democratic institutions. The Ambassador also described the major obstacles to the forging of a new agreement, and the status of the UN mission in the concentration zones. He touched on the fiscal reform now being debated in congress and highlighted the continued efforts of the government to make Colombia a more attractive destination for foreign investment. While acknowledging that there are many difficult discussions that will have to take place among Colombians, the Ambassador noted that there is optimism because all key stakeholders are committed to achieving peace.