Colombia has faced contestation from leftist insurgencies since the period of La Violencia (1948-1958). The largest and most militant of these insurgencies is the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC). As a result of their armed struggle against the state and the confluence of the drug trade and paramilitary groups, Colombians have suffered pervasive insecurity and violence. The Democratic Security and Defense Policy (DSDP), implemented in 2002, reversed this trend: it reasserted state control and legitimacy while decidedly diminishing the capabilities of the FARC. This thesis examines the explanatory factors for the achievements made in countering the FARC and the lessons it provides for domestic and international institutions.