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
The Road to 2024 in Venezuela: A Conversation with María Corina Machado
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The Importance of Democracy Promotion to Great Power Competition in Latin America and the Caribbean
Report by Ryan C. Berg — September 26, 2022

Constitutions, Complications, and Next Steps in Chile
Podcast Episode by Ryan C. Berg — September 22, 2022

The Sustainable Development Goals and Recovery from the COVID-19 Pandemic: Implications for U.S. Policy
Congressional Testimony by Daniel F. Runde — September 15, 2022
The Terms of Engagement for China in Latin America and the Caribbean
Podcast Episode by Ryan C. Berg — September 8, 2022

Spectrum Fees: One of Mexico’s Greatest Obstacles to a More Competitive Telecommunications Sector
Commentary by Ryan C. Berg and Andrew Sady-Kennedy — September 7, 2022
Religious Persecution and the Closing of Civic Space in Nicaragua
Event by Daniel F. Runde , Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio , Jared Genser , Deborah Ullmer , Humberto Belli , and John Feeley — September 2, 2022
Avoiding Disaster—A Narrowing Path Forward in Haiti
Commentary by Georges A. Fauriol — August 31, 2022
Nicaragua: Dictatorship and Collaboration with Extra-Hemispheric U.S. Rivals
Commentary by Evan Ellis — August 29, 2022
Sharpening the Democracy Playbook: A Practical Approach for Venezuela
Event by Ryan C. Berg , Christopher Sabatini , José Ignacio Hernandez , and Alexandra Winkler — August 25, 2022