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: Oleg/Adobe Stock
Insulate, Curtail, Compete: Sketching a U.S. Grand Strategy in Latin America and the Caribbean
CSIS Americas director and senior fellow Ryan C. Berg outlines a three-pronged approach for a U.S. strategy to counter China's advances in the Western Hemisphere, focusing on insulation, curtailment, and competition.
Report by Ryan C. Berg — May 11, 2023
Featured Event
Latin American Women and Democracy: Perspectives of Activists in the Region
All content by Americas Program
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A Good Week for Authoritarians in the Americas
Commentary by Christopher Hernandez-Roy — February 10, 2023
Turning Up the Heat on Geothermal Energy in Latin America
Podcast Episode by Ryan C. Berg — February 9, 2023

Why Is CABEI Funding Nicaragua’s Dictatorship and What Can the United States Do about It?
Critical Questions by Ryan C. Berg — February 6, 2023
Colombia’s Security Challenges, the Government Response, and the Future of U.S.-Colombia Relations
Report by Evan Ellis — February 2, 2023
This Time, Try Supporting Honduran Democracy
Commentary by Mark L. Schneider and Aaron Schneider — January 26, 2023
Prosperity Must Be a Cornerstone of Fostering Honduran Democracy
Commentary by Ryan C. Berg — January 26, 2023
Best of 35 West: Logros y Limitaciones en el Sector Digital en México / Achievements and Limitations in Mexico's Digital Sector
Podcast Episode by Ryan C. Berg — January 26, 2023

Mining, Climate Risks, and the Western Hemisphere
Event by Ryan C. Berg , Morgan Bazilian , Veronika Shime , and George P. Cajati — January 25, 2023
The Indispensable Industry: Mining’s Role in the Energy Transition and the Americas
Commentary by Ryan C. Berg and Henry Ziemer — January 24, 2023
Latin America and the Caribbean: Top Three Risks for 2023
Commentary by Ariel González Levaggi — January 20, 2023