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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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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Featured Event

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The Last Line of Defense

Maduro is Gone. Now What in Venezuela?

Seth Jones speaks with Dr. Ryan Berg about Venezuela’s political landscape in the post-Maduro era, examining U.S. policy goals, shifting power structures, and what’s at stake for the country’s new president, Delcy Rodríguez.

Podcast Episode by Seth G. Jones and Ryan C. Berg — January 7, 2026

The Last Line of Defence

Maduro Captured: What Comes Next for Venezuela?

Maduro’s capture is a significant tactical victory for the United States, the region, and Venezuelans. Whether it leads to long-term strategic gains for the United States and Venezuelans, meaning a return to democracy, will be clear only with time.

Commentary by Ryan C. Berg — January 3, 2026

The Last Line of Defense

Are the United States and Venezuela on the Brink of War?

Seth Jones sits down with Juan Cruz, who served in the U.S. Intelligence Community and on the National Security Council as special assistant to the president and senior director for Western Hemisphere affairs, to discuss the U.S. military’s role in the Venezuela crisis and provide an inside look at Maduro’s armed forces.

Podcast Episode by Seth G. Jones and Juan Cruz — December 3, 2025

The Last Line of Defence

The Wrong Way to Fight the Cartels: CSIS Experts in Foreign Affairs

Experts from the CSIS Americas Program and Warfare, Irregular Threats, and Terrorism Program argue in Foreign Affairs that President Trump’s approach to the cartels risks repeating the mistakes of the “War on Terror.”

Commentary by Ryan C. Berg, Daniel Byman, Iselin Brady, Riley McCabe, Alexander Palmer, and Henry Ziemer — September 15, 2025