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Managing Geopolitical Risk in Mexico's ICT Sector

October 10, 2023 • 12:00 – 1:00 pm EDT

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Join the CSIS Americas Program for a conversation on the evolution of Mexico's Information Communication Technology (ICT) sector in a world shaped by great-power competition.

Whereas concerns expressed by the United States and allies have caused many countries to rethink the level of access they grant Chinese information technology firm Huawei, Latin America and the Caribbean has largely bucked this trend. In particular, Mexico has seen a growing presence from Huawei both in its 5G rollout, and other advanced sectors like cloud computing. While the Mexican government and private sector firms have attempted to assuage such concerns by promising not to deploy Huawei-made equipment near the U.S.-Mexico border, not only are these commitments informal at best, physical distance means little when it comes to the potential national security risks faced by both countries in the telecommunications space.

This event will examine Huawei’s risk profile as an actor in the telecommunications space and its recent advancements in Mexico’s ICT sector. It will also delve into the ways in which anticompetitive practices and the concentration of Mexico's telecommunications market enable Huawei to expand and cement its control over critical network infrastructure, and the ways in which the United States and Mexico can manage this geopolitical risk while improving access to telecommunications infrastructure through sound, competitive reforms and policy incentives.

This event is made possible through general support to CSIS.

Hosted By

Jorge E. Tello Peón

Director, Madison Intelligence Mexico and Former National Security Advisor, Undersecretary of Government and Director of the Center for Investigation and National Security (Cisen)

Luisa Parraguez Kobek

Professor and Researcher, School of Social Science and Government, Tecnológico de Monterrey
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Juan Cruz
Senior Adviser (Non-resident), Americas Program and Director, Argentina-U.S. Strategic Forum

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Photo: CLAUDIO CRUZ/AFP/Getty Images

Photo: CLAUDIO CRUZ/AFP/Getty Images

Managing Geopolitical Risk in Mexico’s ICT Sector

CSIS Americas director Ryan C. Berg and Henry Ziemer analyze the risks associated with Huawei's increasing presence in Mexico and outline steps for both the United States and Mexico to mitigate these challenges.

Report by Ryan C. Berg and Henry Ziemer — October 5, 2023