Congressional Staff Fellow, Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center

Location: N/A
Employment Type: N/A
Seniority Level: N/A
Category: Fellowship

The Atlantic Council's Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center (AALAC) is pleased to announce the launch of its new nonpartisan, unpaid, non-residential fellowship program, bringing together bipartisan US congressional staff in both the Senate and House of Representatives to debate and discuss with key policymakers and leading experts from both Colombia and the United States on critical aspects of their relationship. This program seeks to foster a greater understanding on issues that are crucial to US interests and to advancing Colombia's ties with the United States.

The Atlantic Council's 2025 US-Colombia Fellowship will include:

• Monthly briefings and private dialogues with US and Colombian officials, policy experts, and key stakeholders in the bilateral relationship in both countries.
• Participation in strategy sessions of the Atlantic Council's US-Colombia Advisory Group, a high-level multi-sectoral working group devoted to deepening the US-Colombia partnership.
• Priority consideration for a weeklong staff-level study trip to Bogota and Cali, Colombia in the Fall of 2025 to gain a firsthand understanding of US support for security, counternarcotics, and development projects in Colombia, as well as the US role as Colombia's primary trading partner and a major non-NATO ally.

AALAC's US-Colombia Fellowship Program aims to provide an opportunity for Congressional staff that are interested on engaging around key bilateral issues such as security, migration, commercial ties and great power competition. The fellowship will have a duration of 8 months (April - December 2025) and will focus on four strategic aspects of the bilateral relationship, with an emphasis on deepening understanding of the challenges on the ground and ways to advance US interests, including:

1. Commerce: Ensuring that US-Colombia commercial relations are accelerating economic growth and prosperity. The United States is a key trading partner for Colombia and the current Trade Promotion Agreement has helped to position Colombia as an important investment environment for US companies seeking to bring production closer to home. A number of US companies have a clear interest in deepening investment in Colombia, particularly in the pharmaceutical, petrochemical, information technologies, and fashion sectors, with important benefits to US consumers. The challenge will be to ensure that possible opportunities to deepen bilateral trade and investment can withstand economic uncertainties in Colombia and can compete against renewed outreach by China.
2. China: Strengthening bilateral cooperation on broader geopolitical interests. Amid increasing great power competition in the Western Hemisphere, it is more important than ever that Bogota and Washington are aligned in their vision for the future. As one of the closest historical US allies in Latin America, Colombia is well positioned to work with the United States to ensure our shared democratic values and mutual security interests are reflected throughout the Americas as geopolitical rivals like China seek to deepen their influence. However, Colombia has increasingly shifted into the Chinese sphere of influence. It is in the interest of the United States and it should be in Colombia's interest to ensure the country retains its role as a key ally in South America.
3. Security and Migration: Advancing evidence-based drug policy and security cooperation that dismantles organized crime and ensuring bilateral cooperation with regional migration priorities. Colombia's coca production has skyrocketed during the Petro presidency to the detriment of Colombia, the United States, and the region. More effective ways must be advanced to address the problems arising from the supply and demand for illicit drugs. Addressing this reality will require bilateral coordination in support of more effective security and border monitoring strategies, sustained progress in the implementation of the 2016 peace accord as well as robust investment in rural development, citizen security, and access to justice in areas hardest hit by violence.
4. State Presence: Deepening democratic participation and effective state-building efforts, particularly in long-neglected areas of the country. As Colombia looks to consolidate peace and establish the rule of law in the areas hardest hit by its armed conflict, it is vital to deepen the country's democracy by ensuring wider civic participation and institutional resilience. Colombia made important commitments in its 2016 peace agreement meant to ensure representation of and oversight by indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities in the implementation of the accord and should be encouraged to stand by them.

• Currently work in Congress, have at least 2 years' experience in Congress, and be a legislative assistant or above preferred.
• Professional focus and/or strong interest in US-Colombia relations.
• Ability to attend monthly briefings virtually or in-person.
• Availability to join an Atlantic Council-supported delegation to Bogota and Cali, Colombia in Fall 2025 to study the four priority areas above.

The program will run for eight months starting in April 2025. Applications close by 11:59 PM EST on Monday, March 3, 2025. Fellows will be selected through a competitive process, and applicants will be notified of acceptance at the end of March. To apply, or for any questions, please contact Isabel Chiriboga at ichiriboga@atlanticcouncil.org. Applications should include your resume, a 300-word statement of interest, and the contact information for two professional references.