Art of Diplomacy Tours:
Join us in Colombia!
August 19-24, 2026
Founded by Ambassador Charles Shapiro and Amanda Mattingly, Art of Diplomacy Tours started with the idea of taking curious, policy-minded American citizens to Cuba. Charles and Amanda led their first delegation trip to Cuba in June 2023, followed by trips in 2024 and most recently in June 2025. We hope to return to Cuba in 2026, conditions permitting.
We are also planning a trip to Colombia!
We will travel to Bogotá and Medellín August 19-24, 2026 to meet with a wide range of Colombian artists, academics, journalists, entrepreneurs, and diplomats and learn what makes Colombia a special and strategic country in South America. This well-rounded trip will cover policy and politics in the capital city of Bogotá and business, art, and culture in the innovative city of Medellín. We hope you'll join us!
Charles and Amanda have traveled throughout Latin America, including many times to Cuba, Venezuela, and Colombia over the last 20 years. They believe U.S. government-licensed trips to Cuba and people-to-people exchanges across the Western Hemisphere make a difference and can open important dialogue for the people of our countries. So much about the U.S.-Cuba relationship in particular is misunderstood, but educational travel trips like these can help Americans and Cubans gain a better understanding of one another. It is our hope that citizen diplomacy and advocacy can help improve U.S.-Latin American relations over the long term.
All Cuba trips are legal under U.S. law and licensed through the U.S. Department of Treasury's Office of Foreign Asset Control.