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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More Than a Symbolic Encounter: Fernández-Biden at the White House

CSIS Americas Program senior associate Ariel González Levaggi article analyzes the recent Fernández-Biden high-level meeting at the White House and discusses the challenges for the upcoming general elections and the bilateral relations in an electoral year.

Commentary by Ariel González Levaggi — April 7, 2023

35 West

Taking Exception to States of Exception

In this episode, Christopher Hernandez-Roy sits down with Steven Dudley to unpack the nature of El Salvador's state of exception, what differentiates it from past hardline policies, and the threat this "Plan Bukele" poses to El Salvador and to democracies throughout the region. 

Podcast Episode by Christopher Hernandez-Roy — March 23, 2023

CSIS 35 West

Plan B and the Future of Democracy in Mexico

Join the CSIS Americas Program for a timely conversation on the state of democracy in Mexico with Dr. Lorenzo Córdova Vianello.

Event by Ryan C. Berg , Dr. Lorenzo Córdova Vianello , Deborah Ullmer , and Maximo Zaldivar — March 21, 2023

Turning Up the Heat on Geothermal Energy Development in Latin America

This brief by CSIS Americas director Ryan C. Berg, Katherine Cohen, Alfonso Guzman, and Juliana Rubio examines the challenges in the development of a geothermal industry in Latin America and outlines policy recommendations for increasing investment in the region.

Brief by Ryan C. Berg , Juliana Rubio , Alfonso Guzman , and Kathleen Cohen — March 10, 2023