Santiago Rico Valdés

Santiago Rico Valdés is a second-year MPA candidate at Columbia SIPA, concentrating in International Security and Diplomacy. Originally from Villavicencio, Colombia, he is interested in public service, security, international affairs, and the intersection of security policy, human rights, and democratic governance.

Before Columbia, Santiago spent nearly four years at Colombia’s Ministry of National Defense, where he served as the Ministry’s delegate to the National System for Comprehensive Assistance and Reparation for Victims of the Armed Conflict. He worked on policies related to victims’ rights, humanitarian assistance, reparations, and the stabilization of communities affected by violence, collaborating with government agencies, oversight institutions, and civil society organizations.

His experience working with communities affected by Colombia’s armed conflict shaped his interest in how governments respond to violence and institutional fragility and strengthened his commitment to effective security institutions that protect human rights and democratic governance.