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:SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images

Photo:SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images

USMCA Review 2026

CSIS Americas experts evaluate key challenges and opportunities ahead of the 2026 joint review of the USMCA free trade agreement.

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Brief by Diego Marroquín Bitar, Christopher Hernandez-Roy, and Earl Anthony Wayne — August 18, 2025

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Catalysts of Change: How Entrepreneurs Are Transforming Latin America

The surge of internationally recognized Latin American unicorns has created great enthusiasm and anticipation for the future of entrepreneurship in the region, however, the region is contending with a global decline in investment and structural challenges.

Report by Ryan C. Berg, Juliana Rubio, and Nathaniel Laske — March 8, 2024

This Time, Try Supporting Honduran Democracy

CSIS Americas senior adviser Mark L. Schneider and Aaron Schneider evaluate critiques of the Zones for Employment and Economic Development in Honduras and argue the country should move away from the zones as a potential model for economic growth.

 

Commentary by Mark L. Schneider and Aaron Schneider — January 26, 2023