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:

  1. The authoritarian regimes in Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Cuba as well as democratic backsliding in other countries as a driver of regional instability.
  2. Economic development, strengthening supply chains, forging closer trade linkages between the United States and the region, and nearshoring critical industries.
  3. 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.
  4. Security, especially transnational criminal organizations and illicit economies, particularly in Mexico, the Northern Triangle, and Colombia.
  5. Governance challenges and their effects, including weak rule of law, endemic corruption, migration, inequality, and human rights violations.
  6. Civil-military relations and defense cooperation.

Contact Information

Projects

Featured Analysis

Photo: MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images

Photo: MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images

Effects of the Trump Administration’s Tariff Threats Against Canada and Mexico

CSIS Americas Deputy Director and Senior Fellow Christopher Hernandez-Roy describes how U.S. rhetoric and trade threats are causing Canada and Mexico to rethink their relationship with their neighbor.

Listen to Excerpt

Commentary by Christopher Hernandez-Roy — March 31, 2025

See all analysis on Americas Program

Featured Event

In the News 8 of 545 results

Show More

All Americas Program Content

Filter by

1021 - 1030 of 1167 results

What can the U.S. Congress do in the Americas?

Last week, President Obama delivered his fifth State of the Union address, summarizing the U.S. relationship with the Americas in one line—as “building new ties of commerce [and] also expanding cultural and educational exchanges amongst young people.”

Critical Questions by Carl Meacham — February 5, 2014

A Conversation with H.E. Anibal de Castro

Join the Americas Program as it hosts H.E. Aníbal de Castro, the Dominican ambassador to the United States, for a discussion on how the nations can build a more constructive relationship moving forward.

Event — February 4, 2014

Elections in El Salvador: What to Expect and Why They Matter for U.S. Security

This year’s presidential campaign has seen three principal candidates: Salvador Sánchez Cerén of the Frente Farabundo Martí para la Liberación Nacional (Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front; FMLN), Norman Quijano of the Alianza Republicana Nacionalista (Nationalist Republican Alliance; ARENA), and Antonio Saca of the UNIDAD coalition. 

Critical Questions by Carl Meacham — January 29, 2014

Why Puerto Rico's Economy Matters for U.S. Security

Join the Americas Program as it launches an innovative report examining the economic state of Puerto Rico and why it matters to the United States, authored by Dr. José J. Villamil, the preeminent specialist on Puerto Rican economics and finance.

Event — January 28, 2014

Why Puerto Rico’s Economy Matters for U.S. Security

With the Greek debt crisis still evolving (and unresolved), all eyes are on the European Union. Even here in the United States, folks are keeping a close eye on what all of this will mean for Greece—and, on a larger scale, for the E.U.’s future.

Report by Foreword by Carl Meacham and Jose J. Villamil — January 27, 2014