Christopher Hernandez-Roy

Acting Director and Senior Fellow, Americas Program
Hernandez-Roy

Christopher Hernandez-Roy is acting director and senior fellow of the Americas Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, D.C. His work includes research into democratic backsliding, transnational organized crime, geopolitics, and economic and national security issues in the Western Hemisphere. Christopher held senior leadership positions at the Organization of American States (OAS), as the first director of the Department of Public Security and later the Department of Sustainable Democracy and Special Missions. He also served as a senior political adviser to two secretaries general, during which time he documented the grave human rights abuses of dictatorship in Venezuela and co-led the OAS’s efforts to bring a case to the International Criminal Court for possible crimes against humanity. He oversaw the OAS Mission to Support the Peace Process in Colombia and negotiated the establishment of the Mission to Support the Fight against Corruption and Impunity in Honduras. Christopher was also intimately involved in the peaceful resolution of border disputes between Honduras and Nicaragua, Belize and Guatemala, and Honduras and El Salvador. He worked for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police early in his career. He has been interviewed on CBS, CTV and the CBC and cited in the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, and the New York Times, among other media outlets. He has also testified on Capitol Hill. Christopher is an affiliated practitioner at James Madison University’s Department of Political Science. He holds a BA honors degree in history from Carleton University and an MPhil in international relations from the University of Cambridge.

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What Does the Greenland Deal Mean for North American Security?

CSIS experts examine the September 22 update to the Defense of Greenland agreement and what it means for Greenland, Denmark, the United States, and Canada amid renewed tensions.

Critical Questions by Christopher Hernandez-Roy, Alex Dalziel, Henry Ziemer, and Otto Svendsen — September 30, 2026

35 West

The Future of U.S. Development Finance in the Americas

In this episode, Christopher Hernandez-Roy sits down with DFC Chief Policy Officer Caroline Vik to discuss the agency's evolving mission, investment opportunities in the Western Hemisphere, and regional economic development challenges.

Podcast Episode by Christopher Hernandez-Roy — September 24, 2026

CSIS 35 West

Is Venezuela Moving Toward Democracy?

More than nine months after the capture of Nicolás Maduro, CSIS Americas Program Acting Director and Senior Fellow Christpher Hernandez-Roy and Antonella Navarro assess Venezuela's progress towards political transition.

Commentary by Christopher Hernandez-Roy and Antonella Navarro — September 23, 2026

35 West

Will Trump’s Pressure on Canada Break the USMCA?

Chris Hernandez-Roy and Diego Marroquin Bitar are joined by State of Play host, Will Todman, to discuss if Canada can withstand U.S. pressure, what lies ahead, and what U.S.-Canada tensions mean for the future of free trade in North America.

Podcast Episode by Christopher Hernandez-Roy, Diego Marroquín Bitar, and Will Todman — September 10, 2026

CSIS 35 West

Nicaragua’s Dictatorship Deepens: What Can the International Community Do?

CSIS Americas Program experts evaluate next steps for the United States and the international community amid further authoritarian consolidation by the Ortega-Murillo regime in Nicaragua.

Critical Questions by Christopher Hernandez-Roy, Henry Ziemer, Kaela Werchniak, and Antonella Navarro — September 4, 2026

State of Play

Will Trump’s Pressure on Canada Break the USMCA? 

Will talks with Chris Hernandez-Roy and Diego Marroquin Bitar to discuss if Canada can withstand U.S. pressure, what lies ahead, and what U.S.-Canada tensions mean for the future of free trade in North America.

Podcast Episode by Will Todman, Christopher Hernandez-Roy, and Diego Marroquín Bitar — August 27, 2026

Photo: iLab/CSIS
State of Play

Is Cuba Nearing an Inflection Point?

President Trump is ramping up economic pressure on Cuba and has instructed U.S. intelligence agencies to find a new leader who could work with the United States.

Podcast Episode by Will Todman and Christopher Hernandez-Roy — August 13, 2026

Photo: iLab/CSIS
35 West

Best of 35 West: Canada's Role in the Golden Dome

In this episode that aired on June 12, 2025, Phillippe Lagassé joins to discuss Canada's historical position on continental missile defense, changes to the threat landscape faced by Canada, and how Prime Minister Mark Carney is approaching defense modernization priorities.

Podcast Episode by Christopher Hernandez-Roy — June 29, 2026

CSIS 35 West

Three Nations, One Table: North American Agriculture under USMCA

Join the Americas Program for a conference on USMCA and the future of North American food and agriculture. Experts will discuss food affordability, the successes and challenges of agricultural integration, and the risks that broader trade tensions pose to the agreement’s agricultural framework ahead of the 2026 review.

Event — June 24, 2026