After visiting both countries, Max Boot explores how, over the last decade, Colombia has managed to turn the tide against the drug trafficking, violence, and government corruption that still plague Honduras.
In this column, Julia E. Sweig assesses Colombian president Juan Santos's progress as he begins negotiations with the FARC and the potential political implications the negotiations have for the future.
The U.S. ratification of the stalled Free Trade Agreements with South Korea, Colombia, and Panama indicates that "there is a possibility, despite the very great partisan divisions in Congress, of bipartisan cooperation on economic issues," says CFR's Edward Alden. However, Alden emphasizes that "it is important not to overstate the potential job creation benefits" of the agreements.
Joel D. Hirst says the Obama administration must move with urgency to secure the extradition of Walid Makled García "el Turco" from Colombia to the United States.
Joel D. Hirst says the decision by Colombia to send drug kingpin Walid Makled to Venezuala and not the United States is a mistake, but one that can be corrected.
Speaker: Juan Manuel Santos Calderón Presider: Donna J. Hrinak
President of the Republic of Colombia, Juan Manuel Santos Calderón, discusses Colombia's economic advances, as well as new security measures to combat militants and drug warlords.
Speaker: Juan Manuel Santos Calderón Presider: Donna J. Hrinak
President of the Republic of Colombia, Juan Manuel Santos Calderón, discusses Colombia's economic advances, as well as new security measures to combat militants and drug warlords.
Colombian presidential candidate Antanas Mockus has generated surprising support for his campaign of transparency and change, but the winner will need to reassure voters that security improvements will continue, says expert Cynthia Arnson.
Authors: Max Boot and Richard Bennet Weekly Standard
"The turnaround in the past decade is so dramatic as to be almost unbelievable," write Max Boot and Richard Bennet, commenting on the positive changes in Colombia since it was on the brink of being taken over by insurgents as recently as 2000.
Nadja Drost reports on the controversial construction of a dam in Neiva, Colombia by Spanish energy giant Endesa and why local residents in Neiva are concerned Colombians won't receive energy from it.
The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the National Liberation Army (ELN) are Colombia's two predominant rebel groups. While both have been depleted in recent years, they remain destabilizing forces.
Shannon K. O'Neil and Sebastian Chaskel write that "the U.S. can improve Colombia's human rights situation by bolstering economic opportunities through the FTA."
The Council on Foreign Relations' David Rockefeller Studies Program—CFR's "think tank"—is home to more than seventy full-time, adjunct, and visiting scholars and practitioners (called "fellows"). Their expertise covers the world's major regions as well as the critical issues shaping today's global agenda. Download the printable CFR Experts Guide.
2011 Corporate Conference: Recaps and Highlights
To encourage the free flow of conversation, the 2011 Corporate Conference was entirely not-for-attribution; however, several conference speakers joined us for sideline interviews further exploring their areas of expertise.
Former Treasury secretary Robert E. Rubin and Nobel Laureate economist Michael Spence on the global economic outlook.
Foreign Affairs editor Gideon Rose and Edward Morse on energy geopolitics.
Special operations play a critical role in how the United States confronts irregular threats, but to have long-term strategic impact, the author argues, numerous shortfalls must be addressed.
The author analyzes the potentially serious consequences, both at home and abroad, of a lightly overseen drone program and makes recommendations for improving its governance.
An authoritative and accessible look at what countries must do to build durable and prosperous democracies—and what the United States and others can do to help. More
Through an in-depth analysis of modern Mexico, Shannon O'Neil provides a roadmap for the United States' greatest overlooked foreign policy challenge of our time—relations with its southern neighbor. More