On September 13th 2016, Colombian Ambassador Juan Carlos Pinzón addressed the Seattle audience on the past, current status, and the future of Colombia. The longest war in Latin America is over. After four years of negotiations, the Colombian government and the FARC rebel group reached a peace agreement that if ratified, will put an end to the 52 years of conflict that has taken the lives of 220,000 Colombians, and displaced nearly 7 million people.
Ambassador Pinzón discussed the path of transformation, the new role of the country as a regional player, what the peace agreement means for the future of Colombia, and the new framework Paz Colombia, the bilateral aid program with the U.S. Government, which entails $450 million in assistance to support implementation efforts of the agreement.
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In the photo: Colombian Ambassador Juan Carlos Pinzón (left) addresses Seattle audience members while LACS Chair Tony Lucero (right) moderates the discussion. The Seattle Athanaeum, September 13th, 2016