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:
- The authoritarian regimes in Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Cuba as well as democratic backsliding in other countries as a driver of regional instability.
- Economic development, strengthening supply chains, forging closer trade linkages between the United States and the region, and nearshoring critical industries.
- 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.
- Security, especially transnational criminal organizations and illicit economies, particularly in Mexico, the Northern Triangle, and Colombia.
- Governance challenges and their effects, including weak rule of law, endemic corruption, migration, inequality, and human rights violations.
- Civil-military relations and defense cooperation.
Contact Information
- Henry Ziemer
- Program Coordinator and Research Assistant, Americas Program
- 202.775.3244
- HZiemer@csis.org
Featured Analysis

Photo: SERGIO LIMA/AFP via Getty Images
Brazil’s Misaligned Censorship Policy Risks Cutting Off Free Speech to Spite Disinformation
CSIS Americas deputy director and senior fellow Christopher Hernandez-Roy and Michael McKenna outline challenges when it comes to the regulation of online speech in the Americas, and the corrosive effects of censorship on democracy.
Commentary by Christopher Hernandez-Roy and Michael McKenna — May 25, 2023
Featured Event
Political Prisoners and the Future of Nicaragua
All content by Americas Program
Filter by
A Conversation with Juan Guaidó, Former Interim President of Venezuela
Event by Ryan C. Berg , Christopher Hernandez-Roy , and Juan Guaidó — May 5, 2023

At the 90-Day Mark of PDVSA’s Coronel Tellechea
Commentary by Antonio De La Cruz — April 27, 2023
Are Petro and Biden Syncing? Key Takeaways from the Bilateral Meeting
Critical Questions by Ryan C. Berg , Christopher Hernandez-Roy , Juliana Rubio , Rubi Bledsoe , and Henry Ziemer — April 26, 2023

The Great Balancing Act: Lula in China and the Future of U.S.-Brazil Relations
Commentary by Ryan C. Berg and Carlos Baena — April 19, 2023
Paralysis: The International Community’s Response to the Crisis in Haiti
Commentary by Georges A. Fauriol — April 13, 2023
Democracy Dies under Mano Dura: Anti-crime Strategies in the Northern Triangle
Report by Christopher Hernandez-Roy and Rubi Bledsoe — April 12, 2023
More Than a Symbolic Encounter: Fernández-Biden at the White House
Commentary by Ariel González Levaggi — April 7, 2023
Best of 35 West: Taking Stock of International Criminal Court's Investigation into the Maduro Regime
Podcast Episode by Ryan C. Berg — April 6, 2023
