On July 26, 2021, Juan Carlos Pinzón was appointed Ambassador of Colombia to the United States for a second time. Throughout his career, Pinzón has been a leader in both the public and private, sectors. Between 2018 and 2021, Pinzón was President of the Foundation for the Progress of the Capital Region – ProBogotá, a private non-profit for the promotion of public policy and long-term strategic projects for the capital region of Colombia. He has been a member of several corporate advisory boards and NGOs. Pinzón previously served as Colombia’s Ambassador to Washington from 2015 to 2017. During his tenure, he oversaw the approval of the “Peace Colombia or Plan Colombia II” funding package for security and development.
Additionally, he led the creation of the “U.S.-Colombia Business Council” at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Atlantic Council’s “Colombia Task Force. ” While in office, the Colombian Embassy was recognized as the best diplomatic delegation in Washington by the World Affairs Council in Washington, DC. In July 2017, Juan Carlos Pinzón launched a bid for president with the support of the civic citizens’ movement “Colombia Above All.” In March 2018, he became vice presidential candidate. He also served as Colombian Minister of Defense of Colombia for nearly four years. Under his leadership, the Colombian Armed Forces dealt the most severe blows in history to terrorist organizations – FARC and ELN – and criminal bands, highly degrading their logistics, structure and leadership. Pinzón also established Colombia as a regional security cooperation leader. He led the process for a partnership with NATO. By the end of his tenure, he left the Armed Forces at its historical peak in manpower, capabilities, welfare, technology and budget.