Juan Carlos Pinzón Bueno

Juan Carlos Pinzón Bueno (born December 22, 1971) is the current Minister of National Defence of Colombia.

Minister of Defence


Pinzón received honourable mention for his outstanding academic performance as BSC in economics. He holds a Master’s of Science in Economics from the Pontifical Xavierian University, where In addition, he was awarded a scholarship for his Master’s in Public Policy at Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. Pinzón also completed his advanced studies in international relations and strategic studies at The Johns Hopkins University, and in science and technology policy at Harvard University.

As part of his public service, Pinzón served as the Deputy Minister of Defence. In 2010, President Juan Manuel Santos Calderón appointed him as Presidential Chief of Staff. His public and private tenure also includes positions such as, Senior Advisor to the Executive Director at the World Bank, Vice President of the Colombian Banking Association, Assistant Vice President of Investment Banking at Citigroup, private Secretary and Chief of Staff for the Finance and Public Credit Ministry, and as an Economist for Colombia at Citigroup. The World Economic Forum selected him a Young Global Leader in 2011.

Pinzón has remained an active member of the International Institute for Strategic Studies since 2000. In the early 2000s, he participated in the UNDP Expert Council’s efforts to design a democratic security agenda for Colombia. While with the Ministry of Finance, he was responsible for the coordination of the Defence Ministry budget by special request of the Minister.

Pinzón taught economics at the Pontifical Xavierian University and the Universidad de Los Andes. He has also published several articles in recognised academic magazines and newspapers on financial markets, macroeconomic policy and financial policy.

Personal life
Pinzón was born on 22 December 1972. in Bogotá to Coronel Rafael Pinzón Rincón and Marlene Bueno He is married to María del Pilar Lozano with whom he has two children: Natalia and Juan Pablo.