David Mauricio Castrillon Kerrigan 孔天威

Colombian-American. Tenured research-professor at @UExternado on China-US relations. Editor of Diplomacia Abierta (@diplomaciaab). Chinspanglish. 🇨🇳🇺🇸🇨🇴

[David Mauricio Castrillon Kerrigan 孔天威 @Fortencrantz]

To what extent has Colombia’s foreign service been politicized, acting as a kind of political spoils system for a given administration?

In an article recently published by "Colombia Internacional" of @RevistasUAndes, I examine that question using original data on 3135 overseas appointments made between 2000 and 2024.

👇(1/7)

[The Hormuz Letter @HormuzLetter]

BREAKING: Initial reports of Iranian ballistic missile and drone launches now towards US bases in the region.

[U.S. Central Command @CENTCOM]

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces began launching self-defense strikes against Iran at 5 p.m. ET today at the Commander in Chief’s direction, in response to yesterday’s downing of a U.S. Army Apache helicopter. The mission is a proportional response to unjustified Iranian aggression.

[David Mauricio Castrillon Kerrigan 孔天威 @Fortencrantz]

Se anticipa nuevo ataque de EEUU contra Irán.

[Derek Dillon @HeyDerekDillon]

"An MIT professor says AI writing isn't just plagiarism — it's students 'paying someone else to learn for them.' And students couldn't even quote back their own AI-written essays."

AI use "destroys the cognitive training writing is meant to provide."

More in comments

[David Mauricio Castrillon Kerrigan 孔天威 @Fortencrantz]

@JoseMLuna Kolandra should’ve gotten the role.

[David Mauricio Castrillon Kerrigan 孔天威 @Fortencrantz]

La historia de Colombia contada desde sus actos administrativos. Qué dolor.

[David Mauricio Castrillon Kerrigan 孔天威 @Fortencrantz]

La vida académica es la buena vida ❣️ 📚 No siempre, pero frecuentemente.

[Dr David Vernon @DrDavidVernon]

Still can’t believe that my job is to sit here and write about the things I love most.

[Ricardo Ospina @ricarospina]

Atención: El @CNE_COLOMBIA declarará oficialmente los resultados de la primera vuelta de las elecciones presidenciales y oficializará que la segunda vuelta será entre @ABDELAESPRIELLA e @IvanCepedaCast No hubo ningún reclamo oficial por parte del @PactoCol frente a los resultados. Vía @BluRadioCo

[Daniel Steinmetz-Jenkins @daniel_dsj2110]

The polycrisis expands: https://t.co/jdVtOftaPu

[CGTN America @cgtnamerica]

ZIMBABWE, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, PORTUGAL AND AUSTRIA ELECTED TO U.N. SECURITY COUNCIL FOR 2027 AND 2028

[John Hudson @John_Hudson]

Castro: “Will you tell us, the Congress and the American people, whether Israel, in fact, possesses nuclear weapons?”

Rubio: “most of the world assesses that they do”

[Benjamin Gedan @benjamingedan]

Trump is a kingmaker in GOP primaries, but beyond the water’s edge his record is mixed: a godsend for Milei, kryptonite for Flávio and Pierre Poilievre. Petro is hoping for comparable counterproductivity.

[Jennifer A. Frey @jennfrey]

Every academic press and journal needs a clear ban on AI writing.

[Al Jazeera English @AJEnglish]

Every world leader who has visited China in 2026 in one chart https://t.co/kPFZ5MgF4s

[Department of State @StateDept]

SECRETARY RUBIO: "Cuba has sponsored terrorism. For example, virtually every left-wing, radical, violent terrorist group in the Western Hemisphere has at some point relied on support from Cuba."

[Marc Caputo @MarcACaputo]

“What the fuck are you doing?!” Trump lit into Netanyahu over the Lebanon bombing:

“You're fucking crazy. You'd be in prison if it weren't for me. I'm saving your ass. Everybody hates you now. Everybody hates Israel because of this."

@BarakRavid & I

https://t.co/b1lEZEmN6p

[David Mauricio Castrillon Kerrigan 孔天威 @Fortencrantz]

“De las tres elecciones que quedan en América Latina este año, incluyendo las de Brasil y Perú, creo que la de Colombia es la más importante…

Quien gane [Cepeda o de la Espriella], definirá el rumbo de Colombia por los siguientes 10 a 15 años”.

[Brian Winter @BrazilBrian]

Abelardo de la Espriella is the favorite, but the runoff may be closer than the market believes. You cannot simply add the right’s votes together and assume they’ll all support him—the 2022 runoff, which Petro won despite having the same first-round vote share as Cepeda (40%), is a cautionary tale.

To win this race, De la Espriella will have to do more than vilify Petro and Cepeda. He will have to convince more moderate Colombians, including many who lean conservative, that he is more than a silver-tongued lawyer who represented drug traffickers and Nicolás Maduro’s alleged bag man. He must also strike a balancing act—embracing Alvaro Uribe’s endorsement without becoming the uribista candidate, given how polarizing the former president is. That will be harder than it sounds.

Of the three remaining Latin American elections this year, including Brazil and Peru, I believe Colombia is the most important. Two vastly different candidates, each of whom would have considerable power to implement their agendas, in a country facing huge security, fiscal and economic challenges. Whoever wins this vote will define the course of Colombia for the next 10 to 15 years.

Read more REACTIONS to last night, including the great Laura Lizarazo, Ernesto Revilla and @SergioGuzmanE here:

https://t.co/ygYfRU2SLL

[David Mauricio Castrillon Kerrigan 孔天威 @Fortencrantz]

Honestamente, me encanta ser jurado de votación 🗳️❣️

[Happy Researchers @hapyresearchers]

In academia, the more you learn, the more confidently you say, “I don't know.” 😄📚

[David Mauricio Castrillon Kerrigan 孔天威 @Fortencrantz]

@Joaquingcll Of course. Anytime!