New York-based think tank Americas Society (A.S.) will award Juan Manuel Santos “in recognition of his extraordinary accomplishments as President of Colombia,” the organization announced Thursday.
The Colombian President will be given the organization’s Gold Insignia because, “President Santos is a regional leader, admired for his vision and his determination to continue moving Colombia forward on a path to peace and prosperity,” A.S. President Susan Segal said in a press release.
According to the think tank, “Colombia has demonstrated robust economic performance in the two years since President Santos took office. The economy is expected to grow between 4 percent and 5 percent in 2012 and foreign direct investment for the first eight months of the year reached a record $11.8 billion.”
Additionally, the A.S. hailed the Santos administration for holding “internationally sponsored peace talks with rebel insurgents in a new attempt to put an end to Colombia’s four-decade-conflict.”
Santos is the second consecutive Colombian President to receive the honor; his predecessor Alvaro Uribe was given a Gold Insignia in 2006.
