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.

Contact Information

Projects

Featured Analysis

Photo:STR/AFP/Getty Images

Photo:STR/AFP/Getty Images

Paper Tiger or Pacing Threat?

CSIS Americas Director Ryan C. Berg and Henry Ziemer evaluate China's advances in the security and defense sector across Latin America and the Caribbean, and discuss options for U.S. responses.

Report by Ryan C. Berg and Henry Ziemer — October 19, 2023

See all analysis on Americas Program

Featured Event

POSTPONED: The Evolution of U.S. Sanctions on Venezuela

Presented by Americas Program
December 8, 2023 • 9:00 – 10:00 am EST

In the News

All Americas Program Content

Filter by

1 - 10 of 937 results

POSTPONED: The Evolution of U.S. Sanctions on Venezuela

Please join the Americas Program for a timely conversation on the evolution of U.S. sanctions towards Venezuela. This event will focus on analyzing the trajectory of sanctions in Venezuela and the Biden administration’s negotiations with the Maduro regime.

Event — December 8, 2023

The Entirely Manufactured and Dangerous Crisis over the Essequibo

CSIS Americas Program director Ryan C. Berg and deputy director Christopher Hernandez-Roy evaluate the unfolding situation in Essequibo, the Maduro regime's strategic calculus, and its implications for regional security.

Critical Questions by Ryan C. Berg and Christopher Hernandez-Roy — December 8, 2023

35 West

La estrategia espacial en las Américas, un panorama en evolución / Space Strategy in the Americas, an evolving panorama

En este episodio especial en español, Laura Delgado López, becaria visitante del programa de las Américas, se sienta a conversar con Victoria Valdivia Cerda, profesora de la Academia Nacional de Estudios Políticos y Estratégicos (ANEPE) y experta en política y derecho espacial. / In this special Spanish-language episode, Laura Delgado López, visiting fellow with the Americas Program, sits down with Victoria Valdivia Cerda, professor at the National Academy of Political and Strategic Studies (ANEPE) and expert in space policy and law.

 

Podcast Episode by Laura Delgado López — December 7, 2023

CSIS 35 West

On the Uses and Misuses of Venezuela Sanctions

CSIS Americas director Ryan C. Berg argues the Maduro regime is willing to bear the brunt of U.S. sanctions in exchange for preserving its hold on power and contends the United States should reevaluate its sanctions strategy in Venezuela.

Commentary by Ryan C. Berg — November 29, 2023

The Persistence of the Venezuelan Migrant and Refugee Crisis

CSIS Americas senior associates Betilde Muñoz-Pogossian and Alexandra Winkler shed light on the scale of the Venezuelan refugee crisis and discuss the need for a renewed policy options that address the root causes of the crisis.

Commentary by Betilde Muñoz-Pogossian and Alexandra Winkler — November 27, 2023

A Western Hemisphere Minerals Strategy for the Energy Transition

CSIS Americas deputy director and senior fellow Christopher Hernandez-Roy, Nate Laske, and Henry Ziemer explore the opportunities present in the Western Hemisphere to meet surging demand for critical minerals and facilitate the global energy transition.

Commentary by Christopher Hernandez-Roy Nate Laske and Henry Ziemer — November 16, 2023