Today’s Battlegrounds

Join Colombia’s former Minister of Defense and two-time Ambassador of Colombia to the United States, Juan Carlos Pinzón, and Hoover Senior Fellow H.R. McMaster, as they discuss Colombia’s evolving security landscape, its relationship with the United States, Venezuela's central role in the issues facing the region, and international politics in the Western Hemisphere. Reflecting on the 2022 election of President Gustavo Petro, Pinzón provides an insight into the consequences of Colombia’s political shift to a far-left government, including increased lawlessness, territorial control and weakened security, how public sentiment is shifting ahead of the country’s 2026 presidential election, his views on Colombia as the key strategic player in guaranteeing the stability of Latin America, and how Colombia can build a path towards a better future. ABOUT THE SPEAKERS Juan Carlos Pinzón is the former Minister of Defense of Colombia and a two-time Ambassador of Colombia to the United States. Pinzón served as Minister of Defense from 2011 to 2015. He was first appointed Ambassador to the United States in 2015 and later returned to Washington for a second term in 2021. Between his diplomatic posts, he served as President of ProBogotá, a private nonprofit dedicated to support economic progress in Bogotá. Pinzón has also held senior government roles, including Chief of Staff to the President of Colombia and Deputy Minister of Defense, and served as a senior adviser to the Executive Director at the World Bank. He holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in economics from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, a master’s in public policy from Princeton University, and an honorary degree in defense and national security from the Colombian National War College. H.R. McMaster is the Fouad and Michelle Ajami Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University. He is also the Bernard and Susan Liautaud Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute and lecturer at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business. He was the 25th assistant to the president for National Security Affairs. Upon graduation from the United States Military Academy in 1984, McMaster served as a commissioned officer in the United States Army for thirty-four years before retiring as a Lieutenant General in June 2018. ​

Gilberto Teodoro, Secretary of National Defense of the Philippines, dives into the complex relationship between the U.S. and the Philippines, highlighting its significance as a strategic ally. He discusses the evolving defense cooperation amid Chinese assertiveness in the South China Sea and the broader geopolitical implications of that tension. Teodoro also examines the influence of Chinese technology on Philippine sovereignty and the crucial role of international law in navigating current challenges, emphasizing the vital alliance for future stability.

Join Lithuania’s former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gabrielius Landsbergis immediately following his departure from government, and Hoover Senior Fellow H.R. McMaster, as they discuss the outcome of the 2024 Lithuanian parliamentary election and the opportunities and challenges facing the new coalition governing the country. Amid growing geopolitical tensions, Landsbergis reflects on Russia’s sustained campaign against Europe and the Free World, the global threat from China, North Korea and Iran, the importance of sustained support for Ukraine and whether Ukraine can prevail, Lithuania’s role in countering authoritarianism in Eastern Europe, and the future of U.S.-Lithuanian relations. ABOUT THE SPEAKERS Gabrielius Landsbergis most recently served as Lithuania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs. Minister Landsbergis was elected Chairman of the Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats in 2015, a role he served in until October of 2024. In 2020, Landsbergis became the Minister of Foreign Affairs under the leadership of Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė (see Battlegrounds Episode #42). Landsbergis previously held roles at the Lithuanian Embassies in Belgium and Luxembourg, as well as at the Office of the Government. Landsbergis has been a member of the Seimas (Parliament) of Lithuania since 2016 and is actively involved in the European Council on Foreign Relations. He holds a Master’s degree in International Relations and Diplomacy and a Bachelor’s degree in History from Vilnius University. H.R. McMaster is the Fouad and Michelle Ajami Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University. He is also the Bernard and Susan Liautaud Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute and lecturer at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business. He was the 25th assistant to the president for National Security Affairs. Upon graduation from the United States Military Academy in 1984, McMaster served as a commissioned officer in the United States Army for thirty-four years before retiring as a Lieutenant General in June 2018.

Join award-winning director, producer and screenwriter, Djo Munga, and Hoover Senior Fellow H.R. McMaster as they discuss Munga’s films depicting life in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Central African regional challenges, and opportunities for unleashing the potential of this resource rich country in service of its long-suffering population. Having received widespread acclaim for his work, Munga reflects on how the arts, including film, drama and literature can help us understand complex challenges facing the world from a political, economic and social perspective, how he uses film to understand the root causes of conflict in the DRC, why resilience is so important to the Congo, and what he hopes to portray through his future projects. ​ABOUT THE SPEAKERS Djo Tunda Wa Munga is an award-winning director, producer, and screenwriter. Munga was born in the DRC’s capital, Kinshasa. He pursued fine arts while attending boarding school in Belgium, and a cinema workshop inspired him to attend the National Film School of Belgium, INSAS. Munga then returned to the Congo and established the first film and television production company in the DRC, Suka! Productions, as well as its first film and television school. His debut film VIVA RIVA! received widespread acclaim. Munga has produced documentary and historical films for the World Bank, BBC, and numerous international development agencies. H.R. McMaster is the Fouad and Michelle Ajami Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University. He is also the Bernard and Susan Liautaud Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute and lecturer at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business. He was the 25th assistant to the president for National Security Affairs. Upon graduation from the United States Military Academy in 1984, McMaster served as a commissioned officer in the United States Army for thirty-four years before retiring as a Lieutenant General in June 2018.

Join Bethany Coates, founder and CEO of BreakLine, an education and employment company helping outstanding veterans, women, people of color, and people with disabilities accelerate into their next careers, and Hoover Senior Fellow H.R. McMaster, as they discuss BreakLine’s crucial role in preparing veterans for civilian careers and educating employers on the tremendous value veterans bring to American businesses and civil society. Former Assistant Dean at Stanford Graduate School of Business leading social impact education, Coates reflects on how veterans are often misrepresented in popular culture, the rewards of service, and values such as honor, duty, courage, loyalty and serving others that veterans bring to a workforce. Coates provides insight on what employers should know on hiring and retaining veterans and advice for servicemembers, veterans and military spouses as they approach a transition to civilian employment. ABOUT THE SPEAKERS Bethany Coates is the founder and CEO of BreakLine, a social venture that helps outstanding veterans, women, people of color, and people with disabilities accelerate into their next careers. Ms. Coates was previously an Assistant Dean at Stanford Graduate School of Business leading social impact education. She also worked as a consultant at McKinsey & Co. Ms. Coates earned her BA from Princeton and her MBA from Stanford. She has served on the advisory boards of a number of nonprofits and social ventures. In 2018, Ms. Coates was honored to receive the Secretary of Defense Medal for Outstanding Public Service on behalf of the BreakLine team. H.R. McMaster is the Fouad and Michelle Ajami Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University. He is also the Bernard and Susan Liautaud Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute and lecturer at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business. He was the 25th assistant to the president for National Security Affairs. Upon graduation from the United States Military Academy in 1984, McMaster served as a commissioned officer in the United States Army for thirty-four years before retiring as a Lieutenant General in June 2018.

Dr. Alta DeRoo, medical director at the Betty Ford Center and a trailblazing Naval Flight Officer, teams up with Dr. Don Elverd, a decorated Vietnam War veteran and clinical psychologist. They dive into the addiction crisis in America, particularly its impact on service members. The discussion highlights the urgent need for stigma reduction, community support, and resilience in overcoming substance use disorders. They stress the importance of holistic approaches to healing and emphasize that veterans can emerge stronger from their battles with addiction.

In this episode of Battlegrounds, H.R. McMaster and Leopoldo López discuss ongoing protests in Venezuela, the Maduro regime’s tactics of repression, and prospects for the restoration of the Venezuelan constitution and the end of Maduro’s despotic rule. Join former mayor of Caracas and Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo López and Hoover Senior Fellow H.R. McMaster as they examine Venezuela’s authoritarian socialist regime and prospects for the restoration of the Venezuelan constitution. Reflecting on the country’s stolen presidential election in July 2024, López shares his insights on the Maduro regime’s mechanisms of internal control, how the axis of authoritarians are using Venezuela against the US and the rest of the free world, the next steps for the Venezuelan opposition movement, and what can be done within Venezuela and internationally to help support the Venezuelan people and end Maduro’s despotic rule. ABOUT THE SPEAKERS Leopoldo López is a Venezuelan political leader, pro-democracy activist and Sakharov prize laureate. He is the founder and national coordinator of the Voluntad Popular political party and the former mayor of the municipality of Chacao in Caracas. In 2014 López was unjustly detained by the Maduro regime and sentenced to 14 years of imprisonment. He spent four years in a military prison, a year and a half in house arrest and another year and a half in the Spanish embassy in Caracas under political asylum. In October 2020, López escaped from Venezuela through Colombia to join his family in Spain. López holds a Bachelor's degree cum laude in sociology and economics from Kenyon College, and a Master´s degree in public policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. He was awarded a honoris causa doctorate in Law from Kenyon College in 2007. H.R. McMaster is the Fouad and Michelle Ajami Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University. He is also the Bernard and Susan Liautaud Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute and lecturer at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business. He was the 25th assistant to the president for National Security Affairs. Upon graduation from the United States Military Academy in 1984, McMaster served as a commissioned officer in the United States Army for thirty-four years before retiring as a Lieutenant General in June 2018. ​

In this episode of Battlegrounds, H.R. McMaster and Adela Raz discuss the humanitarian catastrophe and systemic human rights abuses under Taliban rule, the lessons and consequences of the collapse of the Afghanistan Republic, and the future of Afghanistan and its diaspora. Join former Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to the United States, Adela Raz, and Hoover Senior Fellow H.R. McMaster as they reflect on the geostrategic consequences of the 2021 collapse of Afghanistan. Ambassador Raz shares her insights on the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, the humanitarian catastrophe and systemic human rights abuses currently facing the country, the Taliban’s repressive control over women, and her hope for the future of Afghanistan and its diaspora. ABOUT THE SPEAKERS Adela Raz served as the Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to the United States from July 2021 to February 2022. Ambassador Raz was first woman to hold the post of Deputy Chief of Staff for an Afghan president's administrative office. She served in this post both in President Hamid Karzai's Administration and in President Ashraf Ghani’s. She was the Deputy Minister for Economic Cooperation at Afghanistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 2016 to 2018. From 2018 to July of 2021, Raz served as Afghanistan’s first female Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations, where she was the Vice President of the 75th session of the General Assembly. Since 2022, Raz has served as the director of the Afghanistan Policy Lab at the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs. Ambassador Raz has a Master's degree in Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School at Tufts University. H.R. McMaster is the Fouad and Michelle Ajami Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University. He is also the Bernard and Susan Liautaud Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute and lecturer at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business. He was the 25th assistant to the president for National Security Affairs. Upon graduation from the United States Military Academy in 1984, McMaster served as a commissioned officer in the United States Army for thirty-four years before retiring as a Lieutenant General in June 2018.

Lobsang Sangay, a former prime minister in exile of the Central Tibetan Administration, shares his insights on Tibet's ongoing struggles against Chinese repression. He discusses the emotional challenges faced by the Tibetan community in exile and the significance of recent U.S. legislation supporting Tibetan autonomy. Sangay also highlights Tibet's vital role in geopolitical dynamics and emphasizes the need for unity among exiled Tibetans. The conversation offers a deep dive into advocating for Tibetan rights and the resilience of democratic ideals in oppressive contexts.

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) brigadier general Meir Finkel and H.R. McMaster discuss the Israel-Gaza war, Hamas objectives, IDF response to prevent civilian casualties, Israel-Iran proxy conflict, Ayatollah Khamenei's plan to destroy Israel by 2040, challenges in conflict with Hamas and Hezbollah, military operations in Gaza, and misunderstandings in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.