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.

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Photo: CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images

Photo: CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images

Mining for Defense: Unlocking the Potential for U.S.-Canada Collaboration on Critical Minerals

CSIS Americas Deputy Director and Senior Fellow Christopher Hernandez-Roy, Henry Ziemer, and Alejandra Toro analyze the potential for closer U.S.-Canada cooperation on the critical minerals that underpin both countries' defense industrial bases.

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Brief by Christopher Hernandez-Roy, Henry Ziemer, and Alejandra Toro — February 18, 2025

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The Pacific Alliance: A Counterpoint to Crisis in Venezuela?

Over the past two weeks, it seems that all attention on the Western Hemisphere has focused on the unfolding political crisis in Venezuela—and for good reason. Venezuelans have taken to the streets to protest a range of topics ranging from human rights to the current economic chaos.

Critical Questions by Carl Meacham — February 21, 2014

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