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:
- Regional security, particularly in Mexico, the Northern Triangle, Colombia, and the impact of the Venezuelan crisis on the region.
- The long-term impact of China’s rise and great-power rivalry in the Americas.
- Democratic backsliding and the rise of autocracies.
- The resurgence of transnational criminal organizations, growing illicit economies, and the existence of criminal regimes.
- Weak rule of law, endemic corruption, and human rights violations.
- The emergence of significant regional powers, such as Brazil, in an increasingly multipolar world.
Contact Information
- Henry Ziemer
- Program Coordinator and Research Assistant, Americas Program
- 202.775.3244
- HZiemer@csis.org
Featured Analysis

This Time, Try Supporting Honduran Democracy
CSIS Americas senior adviser Mark L. Schneider and Aaron Schneider evaluate critiques of the Zones for Employment and Economic Development in Honduras and argue the country should move away from the zones as a potential model for economic growth.
Commentary by Mark L. Schneider and Aaron Schneider — January 26, 2023
Featured Event
Mining, Climate Risks, and the Western Hemisphere
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Colombia’s Chavismo?
Podcast Episode by H. Andrew Schwartz and Ryan C. Berg — July 1, 2022

Takeaways from the Elections in France, Spain, and Colombia
Commentary by Antonio De La Cruz — July 1, 2022

How to Break the Stalemate in Haiti
Commentary by Georges A. Fauriol , Peter Hakim , Enrique ter Horst , and Keith Mines — June 30, 2022

Taking the Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity as an ‘Opening Bid’ to Go Bigger
Commentary by Daniel F. Runde , Meredith Broadbent , and Henry Ziemer — June 29, 2022

Maduro’s Fortune: Petro in Colombia and a Left-Leaning Latin America
Commentary by Ryan C. Berg and Alexandra Winkler — June 27, 2022

The Inter-American Defense Board in a Changing Hemisphere / A Junta Interamericana de Defesa em um Hemisfério em Mudança
Podcast Episode by Ryan C. Berg — June 23, 2022

Idyllic Love vs Pragmatism: Why President Lopez Obrador Chose Cuba Over the U.S.
Podcast Episode by Mariana Campero — June 22, 2022

The Geopolitics of Honduras’s Special Economic Zones
Commentary by Ryan C. Berg and Evan Ellis — June 9, 2022

The Geopolitics of Special Economic Zones in the Americas
Podcast Episode by Ryan C. Berg — June 9, 2022

National Security North
Podcast Episode by H. Andrew Schwartz and Vincent Rigby — June 8, 2022
