Regional Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue on Security and Democracy in Latin America
Starting in 2024, I began exploring the possibility of creating a collective initiative from civil society that would address the relationship between security and democracy in Latin America. The goal was to mobilize actions and resources to transform security narratives and approaches, offering democratic and inclusive alternatives.
This initiative was born from two concerns. The first is breaking through the barrier that security is an isolated issue, associated exclusively with security forces and conservative sectors, which has led progressive civil society organizations to keep their distance. The second is responding to a growing trend where governments use security to advance authoritarian agendas, weakening civic space and democratic checks and balances, while prioritizing reactive hard-line measures. The initiative sought to fill the gap of spaces where diverse actors can reflect together on this relationship and advance concrete actions.
Over several months, I contacted organizations and individuals from different fields—security, journalism, human rights, violence prevention, democracy, digital rights—to explore the idea. From that process, a core group emerged consisting of Cecilia Farfán, Catalina Niño, D-Hub, Conectas, and me. Together we developed a concept note and began conversations with donors, until the USAID funding crisis in 2025 froze them.
In parallel, another door I knocked on was the Directorate for Cooperation for Latin America and the Caribbean at AECID, where the timing was perfect: we shared the same concern about the need to address security beyond strengthening security institutions and deepen its relationship with democracy. From that meeting came the proposal to organize a regional multi-stakeholder dialogue on the topic. I had the opportunity to advise on content, propose participants, and draft the concept note and final document.
The dialogue took place in June 2025 in Cartagena de Indias. The final document will be published soon, and possibilities for continuity are currently being explored.
Citizen Conversations on Police Reform in Colombia
In 2020, I began organizing webinars on women, security, and justice. One was planned to address police reform following events that occurred in September of that year: amid national protests, police officers killed three young people in Bogotá, an event that resurrected the conversation about the need for police reform.
For this conversation, I decided to change the format. Instead of a webinar, I organized conversations on Twitter Spaces, a format that allowed quicker and easier access for non-specialized audiences, with three objectives: democratize this conversation—usually institutional and closed; make it more accessible and diverse, with new voices and accessible language, avoiding the burden of overly technical tone and the same people always; and broaden the debate beyond the "killer cops vs. hero cops" dichotomy, delving into different aspects of the issue to understand its complexity without denying the institution's real problems.
After the first Space, FESCOL approached with interest in supporting the initiative, and the idea emerged to organize a cycle that addressed various topics including the fight against drug trafficking, justice, ESMAD, gender, rural areas, and international experiences. Additionally, one Space was open to citizen opinions—without expert voices—to hear diverse perspectives. Participants were pre-selected but were not sector specialists.
In total, I organized 9 Spaces with 42 invited participants and at least 1,034 listeners. I produced this document with the main discussion points to contribute to public debate.