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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Featured Analysis

Photo: Rodrigo Buendia/AFP/Getty Images

Photo: Rodrigo Buendia/AFP/Getty Images

Exporting Autocracy

CSIS Americas director Ryan C. Berg and Henry Ziemer analyze China's role in democratic backsliding across Latin America and the Caribbean and outline a series of recommendations for the United States to advance a democracy-first strategy in the hemisphere.

Report by Ryan C. Berg and Henry Ziemer — February 15, 2024

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Audio Briefs

AMLO’s Plan C and the North American Bloc, If We Can Keep It

An audio version of “AMLO’s Plan C and the North American Bloc, If We Can Keep It,” a new commentary by CSIS’s Ryan C. Berg. This audio was generated with text-to-speech by Eleven Labs. 

Podcast Episode by Ryan C. Berg — September 3, 2024

Audio Briefs

AMLO’s Plan C and the North American Bloc, If We Can Keep It

CSIS Americas Director Ryan Berg analyzes the array of constitutional reforms championed by outgoing Mexican president Andrés Manuel López Obrador and their likely impact on North American economic relations.

Commentary by Ryan C. Berg — September 3, 2024

The Truth of the Matter

Mother of All Electoral Frauds: Maduro in Venezuela

CSIS’s Ryan Berg joins the podcast to discuss Nicolas Maduro’s claim that he won another term as Venezuela’s president, when the facts prove otherwise and the fallout is severe. 

Podcast Episode by H. Andrew Schwartz and Ryan C. Berg — August 27, 2024

CSIS the truth of the matter
Audio Briefs

A Question of Staying Power: Is the Maduro Regime’s Repression Sustainable?

An audio version of “A Question of Staying Power: Is the Maduro Regime’s Repression Sustainable?,” a new commentary by CSIS’s Ryan C. Berg and Christopher Hernandez-Roy. This audio was generated with text-to-speech by Eleven Labs. 

Podcast Episode by Ryan C. Berg and Christopher Hernandez-Roy — August 26, 2024

Audio Briefs
35 West

China’s Industrial Transition in Mexico and Central America

In this episode, Ryan C. Berg sits down with Christine Murray, Mexico and Central America correspondent for the Financial Times to assess current trends in China-Mexico economic relations and how these might evolve under the new administration of President Claudia Sheinbaum.

Podcast Episode by Ryan C. Berg — August 22, 2024

CSIS 35 West

A Question of Staying Power: Is the Maduro Regime’s Repression Sustainable?

CSIS Americas Program director Ryan C. Berg and deputy director and senior fellow Christopher Hernandez-Roy look at mass protests against the stolen election in Venezuela and argue the Maduro regime may not be able to repress its way out of the current crisis.

Commentary by Ryan C. Berg and Christopher Hernandez-Roy — August 21, 2024

Mexico Matters

Keep those Plates Spinning in the Air

On this episode, Mariana speaks with General David Petraeus, former CIA Director, Retired Army General, Partner of KKR and Chairman of the KKR Global Institute, about the major and minor challenges occurring around the world that require the attention of the United States while, at the same time, the US needs to focus on strengthening its own competitive profile to compete against China. 

Podcast Episode by Mariana Campero — August 15, 2024

CSIS Mexico Matters