The Human Network Behind the Data: Monitoring Peace in Colombia

Experience the Episode

Presented by Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies

Peace implementation is a long, nonlinear journey that requires more than just technical oversight—it requires a human network rooted in trust. In this episode of The Kroc Cast, we go behind the scenes of the Peace Accords Matrix (PAM) to explore its historic responsibility: independently monitoring the 2016 Final Peace Accord in Colombia.

Host Cristian Sáez Flórez ’21 MGA is joined by the researchers and practitioners who bring this work to life through a unique partnership between the University of Notre Dame and the Colombian Barometer Initiative. This conversation dives into the delicate balance between measuring progress and respecting the lived realities of communities navigating the legacy of conflict. From technical innovations in transitional justice to the emotional dimensions of post-conflict work, our guests share how this binational collaboration turns high-level commitments into tangible change on the ground.

This episode was originally published by the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies on December 16, 2025. To explore the entire library of Kroc Cast podcast episodes and for more information , please visit kroc.nd.edu.

Meet the Host: Cristian Sáez Flórez '21 MGA

Cristian Sáez Flórez ’21 MGA is a Peace Accords Matrix research associate and provides research and information management support for the Peace Accords Matrix Colombia Barometer project.

Cristian is a graduate of the Keough School’s master of global affairs program, with a concentration in international peace studies. As part of his studies, he interned in the Missing Migrants and DNA program with the Colibrí Center for Human Rights. 

Outside of academia, Cristian has worked with several human rights and peacebuilding organizations in Colombia. Most recently, he worked as a junior specialist with the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies’ Barometer Project in Colombia and served as a research assistant at the Museo Casa de la Memoria de Medellín. He was also an intern with the Manos a la Paz project with the United Nations Development Programme, which aimed to strengthen democratic governance and peacebuilding capacities. 

Cristian holds a B.A. in political science from the Universidad de Antioquia. 

Meet the Speaker: Ángela María Ramírez Rincón

Ángela Ramírez Rincón is the Executive Director of the Barometer Initiative in Colombia. She is a lawyer with a Master’s degree in International Human Rights Law from American University.

She has worked as a teacher and researcher on issues related to the protection of human rights. She has also served as a consultant for various organizations, including the German Cooperation Agency (GIZ) and the Due Process of Law Foundation (DPLF), on issues related to Indigenous peoples’ rights, judicial investigations with a gender perspective, and institutional strengthening. For seven years, she worked in the Colombian public sector in institutions such as the Presidential Program for Human Rights, the National Agency for Legal Defense of the State, and the Ministry of Justice, where she led strategies on transitional justice and the international defense of the State.

Meet the Speaker: Mateo Gómez Vásquez

Mateo Gómez Vásquez is the Technical Research Leader for the Barometer Initiative in Colombia. He is a lawyer with a degree from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, and master degree in Democracy and Good Governance from Universidad de Salamanca. He has worked as Director of the Early Warning System of the Ombudsman Office and Coordinator of National Advocay of the Comisión Colombiana de Juristas.

Meet the Speaker: Natalia Restrepo Ortiz

Natalia Restrepo Ortiz is a Researcher with the Barometer Initiative and monitors transitional justice issues. She is a lawyer with a degree from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Colombia, with a specialization in administrative law and an LLM in public international law from New York University. During her professional career, she has focused on working for victims’ recognition from the public sector, as well as by international organizations, including the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.

Meet the Speaker: Carolina Serrano Idrovo '17 M.A.

Serrano Idrovo is a 2017 graduate of the Kroc Institute’s M.A. in International Peace Studies, where she focused on public policy and conflict analysis and transformation. As part of her studies, she accompanied the work of grassroots organization Sembrandopaz in the Colombian Caribbean coast, on political empowerment and community building activities. 

Prior to attending the University of Notre Dame, Serrano Idrovo worked as a researcher for Colombian think-tank Fundación Ideas para la Paz and the International Organization for Migrations in Bogotá focusing on the reintegration process of former combatants. Serrano holds a B.A. in Political Science from Universidad de los Andes and a Specialization in Social Evaluation of Projects from the same University.