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
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Brazil: Five Phenomena and Three Scenarios
Report by Lauri Tähtinen — October 25, 2022
Defending Media Integrity in the Americas
Podcast Episode by Ryan C. Berg — October 20, 2022

Brazil’s Presidential Elections: Perspectives from U.S. Ambassadors
Transcript by Ryan C. Berg , Liliana Ayalde , Todd Chapman , and P. Michael McKinley — October 18, 2022
Brazil’s Presidential Elections: Perspectives from U.S. Ambassadors
Event by Ryan C. Berg , Liliana Ayalde , Todd Chapman , and P. Michael McKinley — October 17, 2022
Brazilian Election Preview
Podcast Episode by H. Andrew Schwartz and Ryan C. Berg — October 17, 2022

Engines of Prosperity: The Promise of the Zones for Employment and Economic Development (ZEDEs) in Honduras
Report by Ryan C. Berg and Matthew Carusi — October 17, 2022
Revisiting Counter-Narcotics Policy in the Western Hemisphere
Event by Daniel F. Runde , Earl Anthony Wayne , Ambassador Anne Patterson , and Admiral Álvaro Echandía Durán — October 11, 2022
O Primeiro Turno das Eleições Brasileiras Traz Questões Complexas / No Easy Answers in Brazil’s First Round Presidential Election
Podcast Episode by Ryan C. Berg and Thiago de Aragão — October 6, 2022

Mapping the Escalation Ladder against the Ortega-Murillo Regime in Nicaragua
Commentary by Daniel F. Runde , Ryan C. Berg , Sofia Williamson-Garcia , and Sophia Skaff — October 3, 2022
Revisiting Counter-Narcotics Policy in the Western Hemisphere
Commentary by Daniel F. Runde — September 27, 2022