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President Álvaro Uribe Visits with CHDS

On March 26, former President of Colombia Álvaro Uribe began his two-day visit to CHDS with a roundtable discussion on the subject of Colombia during and after his administration. CHDS Director Richard Downie moderated the discussion, which was attended by members of the faculty, as well as other specialists in Latin American policy. Dr. Downie presented President Uribe, remarking on the significant changes that had transformed Colombia in the eight years of his administration.

In his introductory remarks President Uribe spoke of the importance of the triangle of investment, security, and social cohesiveness that made such a dramatic change possible, stressing especially the alliance between the armed forces and the community. His remarks were followed by a lively dialogue, fostered by questions raised by the attendees.

From CHDS: Dr. Alejandro Arbelaez, Assistant Professor; Dr. Luis Bitencourt, Dean of Academic Affairs; Mr. Ken LaPlante, Deputy Director; GEN (Ret) Carlos Ospina, CHOD Chair; MG (Ret) John Thompson, Dean of Students, Administration, and Operations; Dr. Scott Tollefson, Associate Dean. From the Center for Strategic and International Studies:  Mr. Stephen Johnson, Director of the Americas Program; Mr. Phil McLean, Senior Associate;  Dr. Johanna Mendelson-Forman, Senior Associate. From NDU:  Mr. Jay Cope, Senior Research Fellow, NDU National Institute for Strategic Studies; Dr. Tom Blau, Special Assistant to the Vice President of Academic Affairs. Also attending were Ambassador Virginia Contreras, former Venezuelan Ambassador to the OAS and Minister Counselor Vicente Echandia, Embassy of Colombia.

From CHDS: Dr. Alejandro Arbelaez, Assistant Professor; Dr. Luis Bitencourt, Dean of Academic Affairs; Mr. Ken LaPlante, Deputy Director; GEN (Ret) Carlos Ospina, CHOD Chair; MG (Ret) John Thompson, Dean of Students, Administration and Outreach; Dr. Scott Tollefson, Associate Dean.

From the Center for Strategic and International Studies: Mr. Stephen Johnson, Director of the Americas Program; Mr. Phil McLean, Senior Associate; Dr. Johanna Mendelson-Forman, Senior Associate

From NDU: Mr. Jay Cope, Senior Research Fellow, Institute for National Strategic Studies; Dr. Tom Blau, Special Assistant to the Vice President of Academic Affairs

Also attending were Ambassador Virginia Contreras, former Venezuelan Ambassador to the OAS and Minister Counselor Vicente Echandia, Embassy of Colombia


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