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
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
Energy, Environment, and Opportunities for Mexico's Natural Gas Sector
All Americas Program Content
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Energy, Environment, and Opportunities for Mexico's Natural Gas Sector
Event by Ryan C. Berg , Jennifer Pierce , Jeremy M. Martin , and Christopher Lenton — July 27, 2023
After AMLO: The Economic, Security, and Political Outlook for Mexico in 2024
Report by Ryan C. Berg , Sara Fattori , and Henry Ziemer — July 18, 2023
More Policy Avenues to Fight Fentanyl
Commentary by Annie Pforzheimer — July 17, 2023
Building Barriers and Bridges: The Need for International Cooperation to Counter the Caribbean-Europe Drug Trade
Report by Christopher Hernandez-Roy and Rubi Bledsoe — July 14, 2023
The Energy Imperative for Southern Mexico
Commentary by Ryan C. Berg , Emiliano Polo , and Henry Ziemer — July 7, 2023
Three Year Anniversary of USMCA: Are We Still Friends?
Podcast Episode by Mariana Campero and Scott Miller — June 27, 2023
What’s at Stake in the Guatemala 2023 Election?
Commentary by Margarita R. Seminario — June 23, 2023
Building the North American Semiconductor Corridor
Event by Maxwell Hamilton , Sam Marullo , Rina Pal-Goetzen , David Talbot , and Ryan C. Berg — June 22, 2023