Democracy Dialogues: Juan Manuel Barrientos' Culinary Revolution in Colombia

Speakers:

• Juan Manuel Barrientos, Chef and Founder, El Cielo Group
• Eric Farnsworth, Vice President, Americas Society/Council of the Americas

“In my kitchen, we are not a former anything. You are a chef at El Cielo, and we are not looking back,” says Chef Juan Manuel Barrientos in a Democracy Dialogues interview with AS/COA Vice President Eric Farnsworth. From his humble beginnings with a small restaurant in Medellín to earning Michelin stars for his establishments in Miami and Washington, Barrientos has built a hospitality empire while staying true to a powerful vision of social impact. 

Barrientos explains how El Cielo Group, his growing business, has trained over 2,500 former combatants from Colombia’s armed conflict—including wounded soldiers, former guerrillas, and paramilitaries—teaching them culinary skills while fostering forgiveness and collaboration. “The most important part is creating a social tissue of forgiveness and reconciliation,” he says, describing the transformative process of bringing together people who were once adversaries. 

Unlike traditional corporate social responsibility models, Barrientos integrates social impact into his business strategy. “We donate between 5% to 25% of profits to the foundation,” he notes, emphasizing his commitment to sustainability and independence from external funding. 

As a global ambassador for Colombian culture and resilience, Barrientos also calls on viewers to visit his home country: “Colombia is a beautiful, resilient, and welcoming country. After 60 years of war, we have reinvented ourselves.” 

Democracy Dialogues is a series of conversations on the state of democracy in the Americas. Hosted by Eric Farnsworth, these one-on-one interviews with leading democracy practitioners explore the most difficult issues of regional democratic governance with an eye toward pragmatic, deeply-considered solutions.  Previous guests have included Guatemala's President Bernardo Arévalo, Colombia's then-President Ivan Duque, Venezuela opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, NBA Basketball Star Enes Kanter Freedom, OAS Secretary General Luis Almagro, Cuba Decide founder Rosa Maria Paya, founder and editor of Nicaragua's Confidential Carlos Fernando Chamorro, and numerous others. 

Follow the conversation: #DemocracyDialogues | @ASCOA

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