Americas Program

A leading source of ideas defining the future of national security, analyzing geopolitical trends, and addressing key political, economic, and social challenges facing the region

The Program was established with the clear, forward-looking mission to elevate the policy discussion on the Western Hemisphere. The program aims to influence through timely, practical, and insightful analysis and policy recommendations for partners in the United States and the region.

The Americas Program focuses on six thematic priorities:

  1. The authoritarian regimes in Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Cuba as well as democratic backsliding in other countries as a driver of regional instability.
  2. Economic development, strengthening supply chains, forging closer trade linkages between the United States and the region, and nearshoring critical industries.
  3. The long-term impact of China’s rise, the continued relevance of Russia and other extra-hemispheric powers, in a region shaped by strategic rivalry.
  4. Security, especially transnational criminal organizations and illicit economies, particularly in Mexico, the Northern Triangle, and Colombia.
  5. Governance challenges and their effects, including weak rule of law, endemic corruption, migration, inequality, and human rights violations.
  6. Civil-military relations and defense cooperation.

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Projects

Featured Analysis

Photo: DANIEL MUNOZ/AFP via Getty Images

Photo: DANIEL MUNOZ/AFP via Getty Images

Under the Gun: Firearms Trafficking in Latin America and the Caribbean

CSIS Americas deputy director and senior fellow Christopher Hernandez-Roy, Henry Ziemer, and Azucena Duarte unpack firearms trafficking dynamics throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.

Report by Christopher Hernandez-Roy, Henry Ziemer, and Azucena Duarte — November 19, 2024

See all analysis on Americas Program

Featured Event

Addressing Maduro’s Oil Lifeline in the Wake of a Stolen Election

Presented by Americas Program
December 3, 2024 • 10:00 – 11:00 am EST

In the News

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China’s Intelligence Footprint in Cuba: New Evidence and Implications for U.S. Security

China’s deepening ties with Cuba are opening doors for its military and intelligence services there. Satellite imagery and other open-source information offer an unprecedented look at facilities in Cuba likely to be supporting China’s efforts to spy on the United States.

Brief by Matthew P. Funaiole, Aidan Powers-Riggs, Brian Hart, Henry Ziemer, Joseph S. Bermudez Jr., Ryan C. Berg, and Christopher Hernandez-Roy — December 6, 2024

35 West

Best of 35 West: Unpacking USMCA

In this episode, originally aired on May 16, 2024, Christopher Hernandez-Roy sits down with Kenneth Smith Ramos, Chief Trade Negotiator for Mexico from 2017 to 2018 and one of the architects of USMCA.

Podcast Episode by Christopher Hernandez-Roy — December 5, 2024

CSIS 35 West
35 West

Mineral Security is National Security

In this episode, Henry Ziemer sits down with Abigail Hunter, Executive Director of the Center for Critical Mineral Strategy at SAFE, to discuss the state of U.S.-Canada cooperation on critical minerals projects, lingering obstacles, and the kinds of incentives needed to galvanize greater supply chain security.

Podcast Episode by Henry Ziemer — November 21, 2024

CSIS 35 West