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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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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Pentagon Announces a New Counternarcotics Task Force in the Caribbean

CSIS Americas Program experts explain the significance of the Department of Defense’s establishment of a new Counternarcotics Task Force and consider how this reflects the Trump administration’s national security priorities.

Critical Questions by Ryan C. Berg, Christopher Hernandez-Roy, Henry Ziemer, Rubi Bledsoe, and Isabel Teran — October 23, 2025

When Crime Becomes Terror: Rethinking the FTO Designation

CSIS Americas Research Associate Rubi Bledsoe analyzes the recent designations of criminal organizations as FTOs by the Trump administration and discusses key similarities and differences between the groups.

Commentary by Rubi Bledsoe — October 21, 2025

The Role of Social Media in Cartel Recruitment

CSIS Americas Research Associate Rubi Bledsoe delves into the intricacies of digital recruitment tactics by Mexican cartels, the factors that make the youth vulnerable to them, and best avenues to combat them.

Commentary by Rubi Bledsoe — May 28, 2025

“Tough on the Weak, Lenient on the Powerful”

This report provides a summary of the discussions from a series of three roundtables held from August to September 2024 as part of the CSIS-USAID LACLEARN roundtable series on mano dura.

Report by Christopher Hernandez-Roy, Juliana Rubio, Henry Ziemer, and Rubi Bledsoe — January 9, 2025