Interview with Eric Spector, February 8, 2022

Interview Summary

Eric Spector served in Colombia, 1968-1970, with the first Peace Corps (PC) MBAs, working on economic development/job creation. Eric’s assignments included traveling throughout Colombia, documenting tourist sites, which resulted in the first national promotional photographic library. Training was at Stanford and in Cali. Eric posted to Medellin with Turantioquia, and later joined the newly-formed Corporación Nacional de Turismo in Bogotá. Eric also worked with other volunteers to help save a small airline (Aerocondor) by upgrading its fleet to prop-jets and attracting international tourists. Eric was asked to speak at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia in Bogotá at a Vietnam Symposium. He was fluent in Spanish. A prior speaker stated that PC volunteers were CIA. Near the conclusion of his remarks against the war, Eric stunned the large audience by revealing he was a PC volunteer and that such exaggerated rhetoric was not useful in efforts to end the war.

Interview Keyword

Peace Corps (U.S.) Columbia (Country of service) 1968-1970 (Date of service) Peace Corps Volunteer Job: Community Economic Development Columbia United States Peace Corps (U.S.)--1960-1970 Vietnam War Spanish

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