The Colombian Congress' recent passage of a controversial law limiting the potential punishment of paramilitary groups in exchange for their disarmament has sparked a heated debate. In a recent seminar at the Center, U.S. Ambassador to Colombia William B. Wood defended the law and emphasized the difficult tradeoff between peace and justice.
The Colombian Congress' recent passage of a controversial law limiting the potential punishment of paramilitary groups in exchange for their disarmament has sparked a heated debate over the proper balance between peace and justice. Recently, U.S. Ambassador to Colombia William B. Wood defended the Bush administration's decision to support the measure despite criticism from several members of Congress and a variety of human rights organizations. He also outlined U.S. strategy and progress in countering terrorism and narcotics in the country and assessed the strength and stability of Colombia's government institutions.
The Wilson Center’s prestigious Latin America Program provides non-partisan expertise to a broad community of decision makers in the United States and Latin America on critical policy issues facing the Hemisphere. The Program provides insightful and actionable research for policymakers, private sector leaders, journalists, and public intellectuals in the United States and Latin America. To bridge the gap between scholarship and policy action, it fosters new inquiry, sponsors high-level public and private meetings among multiple stakeholders, and explores policy options to improve outcomes for citizens throughout the Americas. Drawing on the Wilson Center’s strength as the nation’s key non-partisan policy forum, the Program serves as a trusted source of analysis and a vital point of contact between the worlds of scholarship and action. Read more
