On February 5th the participants of the Security and Defense Policy (SDP) course had the opportunity to dialogue with the Minister of Defense of Colombia, Dr. Rodrigo Salazar, during his visit to the National Defense University in Washington, DC. The Minister presented an outline of the evolution of the security situation in Colombia through the perspective of Colombia’s “From Security to Prosperity” plan. During his remarks Dr. Salazar analyzed many of the topics from the SDP syllabus: defense policy, democracy and the armed forces, human rights, state-building, terrorism, and radical ideologies. In addition to the presence of the Minister, the Center was additionally honored by the presence of the Vice-Minister of Strategic Planning, Yaneth Giha, and the Director of International Affairs, Sergio Restrepo, who are both CHDS graduates. The regular participation of ministers and high-level functionaries in CHDS classes is always an enriching part of our activities.