As part of the Clough Center’s international engagements on constitutional democracy, a delegation visited Colombia from February 28 to March 5, 2026. This delegation included Clough Center Doctoral Fellows, Faculty Affiliates, and the Center’s benefactor, Charles Clough Jr. ’64.
In light of the Center’s 2025-’26 focus on “Democratic Resilience,” the delegation examined recent democratic developments and institutional progress in Colombia, including elections and the constitutional system. The students participated in panel discussions held at the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana. The panels focused on peace-making and resolution processes related to armed conflict and transitional justice. The panels provided an opportunity for students and faculty to share thoughts on democratic resilience, the relationship between political institutions and stability, as well as instructive lessons that Colombia can offer about how to build and strengthen democracy.
A delegation from the Clough Center also met with with former Colombian presidents Juan Manuel Santos and Ernesto Samper Pizano; the president of the Commission for Truth, Reconciliation and Non-Repetition, Francisco de Roux, S.J.; a representative of victims of forced disappearances, and also with perpetrators of the violent conflict—including an ex-guerilla leader and ex-Colombian Army colonel—who have recognized and been sanctioned for their earlier roles.
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