Elizabeth Dickinson Senior Analyst, Colombia Please submit all media inquiries to edickinson@crisisgroup.org or call +32 (0) 2 536 00 71 Crisis Group Role Elizabeth Dickinson has been Crisis Group’s senior analyst for Colombia since 2019. Her work centers around armed conflict dynamics in the country and the implementation of the 2016 peace accord between the Colombian government and FARC guerrillas. Previously a journalist, Elizabeth first reported from Colombia in 2011, covering topics including criminal and armed group violence, illegal mining, migration, and national politics. Elizabeth previously served as Crisis Group’s Senior Analyst for the Arabian Peninsula, where she lived for 8 years focusing on the six countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council. She focused extensively on Gulf countries’foreign policies in the Middle East and Horn of Africa. Professional Background Prior to joining International Crisis Group, Elizabeth worked for a decade as a journalist, including roles at Foreign Policy magazine, The National, and The Economist. She holds a degree in African and International Studies from Yale University. Areas of Expertise Colombia Armed groups in Colombia Humanitarian issues Gulf politics and foreign policy Saudi Arabia UAE Qatar Bahrain Kuwait Counter-terror finance Proxy conflict Languages English (native) Spanish (fluent) French (fluent) Publications “Colombia’s War Just Ended. A New Wave of Violence Is Beginning,” Foreign Policy magazine, August 2016. “Fighting the Last War,” Washington Monthly, Jan/Feb 2012. “Godfathers and Thieves: How Syria’s Diaspora Crowd-Funded a Revolution”, Deca, June 2015. “Playing with Fire: Why Private Gulf Financing for Syria’s Extremist Rebels Risk Igniting Sectarian Conflict at Home”, Saban Center for Middle East Policy, Brookings Institution, 2013. In The News 21 Jul 2021 What I think we're going to see in the next months is a slowly churning crisis [in Colombia], which is dangerous. Voice of America Elizabeth Dickinson Senior Analyst, Colombia 29 May 2021 There is no armed or military solution to this crisis [in Colombia]. But agendas on all sides are increasingly tempted to look for one. Al Jazeera Elizabeth Dickinson Senior Analyst, Colombia 21 May 2021 Grievances run a lot deeper [in Colombia]. Fundamentally it’s about … a feeling among many people that it’s impossible to have any social mobility and that’s because of the way the access to education and the labor market works. The Christian Science Monitor Elizabeth Dickinson Senior Analyst, Colombia 6 May 2021 There is no way you could credibly claim that any armed or criminal group is motivating or coercing protesters to the street [in Colombia]. Al Jazeera Elizabeth Dickinson Senior Analyst, Colombia 26 Apr 2021 There’s a lot of work to be done to fix social cohesion [in Colombia] because violence is at times the default answer, which is a legacy of so many years of conflict. The Telegraph Elizabeth Dickinson Senior Analyst, Colombia 13 Sep 2020 The history in Colombia is when you start a wave of violence it accelerates and it’s very hard to stop. New York Times Elizabeth Dickinson Senior Analyst, Colombia Latest Updates U.S. Congressional Testimony / Latin America & Caribbean 1 July 2021 Protests in Colombia In this testimony before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, Crisis Group expert Elizabeth Dickinson analyses the protests that have swept the streets of Colombia, fuelled by economic inequality, and urges the U.S. government to support Colombia in its pursuit of a peaceful resolution. Originally published in House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission Podcast / Latin America & Caribbean 10 June 2021 COVID-19, Inequality and Protests in Colombia This week on Hold Your Fire!, Richard Atwood and Naz Modirzadeh talk to Crisis Group experts Renata Segura and Beth Dickinson about protests across Colombia, the inequality and police violence that are motivating people to take to the streets, and prospects for reform. Q&A / Latin America & Caribbean 6 May 2021 Pandemic Gloom and Police Violence Leave Colombia in Turmoil Colombia’s cities, towns and countryside are aflame with popular protests. In this Q&A, Crisis Group expert Elizabeth Dickinson traces the unrest’s origins to inequality, police impunity and the government’s seeming aloofness from the street. Also available in Español Commentary / Latin America & Caribbean 2 December 2020 A Refuge from Violence in a Forgotten Corner of Colombia Throughout Colombia, social leaders are a staple of community life, providing services and defending rights that the state does not. But these activists face growing dangers from the criminals, ex-paramilitaries and self-styled guerrillas whose rackets they disrupt. This is one woman’s story. Also available in Español Q&A / Latin America & Caribbean 14 September 2020 Police Killing Rouses Colombia’s Lockdown Furies In early September, demonstrations against police brutality erupted in Colombia’s capital and other cities. In this Q&A, Crisis Group expert Elizabeth Dickinson explains that reactions to the unrest have exposed the country’s political polarisation amid anxieties about the coronavirus and the 2016 FARC peace agreement. Also available in Español Load more