General (Ret.) Alberto Mejia | How Colombia Defeated the FARC | Part 1 | TFP #110

Can a democracy prevail in a decades-long insurgency without compromising its democratic values?

For more than fifty years, Colombia confronted one of the world's most enduring internal conflicts. Through military reform, strategic adaptation and international partnership, the Colombian state gradually shifted the balance against the FARC while seeking to preserve democratic legitimacy.

In Part One of The Focus, General (Ret.) Alberto José Mejía Ferrero—former Commander of the Colombian Army and former General Commander of Colombia's Armed Forces—provides a first-hand assessment of the campaign, the evolution of Plan Colombia, and the strategic lessons that remain relevant for governments confronting insurgency today.

This discussion explores not only how Colombia fought, but why strategy, leadership and institutional resilience proved just as important as battlefield success.

Watch Part One now and join the conversation.