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
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Defending Transparency and Advancing Anticorruption in the Western Hemisphere
Event by Ryan C. Berg , Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) , Charisse Phillips , Marco Antonio Rueda Soto , Annette Planells , Dorothy Bradley , and Juan Francisco Sandoval Alfaro — December 12, 2022
Combating Chinese Dual-Use Infrastructure: Bringing In the Private Sector
Commentary by Ryan C. Berg — December 9, 2022
Hydrogen Development in Latin America: Varying Scenarios for Chile and Paraguay
Event by Daniel F. Runde , Gustavo Cazal Bogarín , Manabu Sugioka , Juan Carlos Jobet , and Dr. Michel Osvaldo Galeano Espínola — December 9, 2022
Innovating and Expanding Access to Finance for Small-Scale Agriculture
Event by Ryan C. Berg , Irene Arias Hofman , Sowmya Krishnamoorthy , and Patrick Starr — December 8, 2022
Financing Small-Scale Agriculture in Honduras: A Case Study
Report by Ryan C. Berg , Henry Ziemer , and Michael Estopinan — December 7, 2022
Latinos in Florida Have Something to Say
Podcast Episode by Mariana Campero — November 21, 2022

Crackdown on Religious Freedom in Nicaragua
Congressional Testimony by Ryan C. Berg — November 15, 2022
Colombia’s Relationship with the PRC
Report by Evan Ellis — November 10, 2022
2022 Washington Humanitarian Forum: Closing the Gap
Event by Jacob Kurtzer , Kimberly Flowers , Katherine E. Bliss , Jon B. Alterman , Marti Flacks , Mvemba Phezo Dizolele , Beza Tesfaye , Natasha Hall , and Hadeil Ali — November 9, 2022
Politics and the Private Sector: How the Latin American Business Community Confronts Today’s Challenges
Podcast Episode by Ryan C. Berg and Juan Carlos Pinzón — November 3, 2022
