Mexican troops take part in Independence Day Parades in León, Mexico, in September of 2013. Source: © Tomas Castelazo http://www.tomascastelazo.com / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0 Unlike much of Latin America, Mexico did not experience a military dictatorship during the latter part of the twentieth century. Rather, the military forces of Mexico found themselves caught up with the … Continue reading Enter the Generals: The Rising Influence of the Military in the Mexican State
Category: Western Hemisphere
The Dragon Descends Southwards: Chinese Foreign Policy in Latin America Warrants a U.S. Response
Former Secretary of Defense Dr. Mark T. Esper Visits U.S. Southern Command Headquarters in Doral, FL in January 2020. Photo Credit: U.S. Department of Defense, Army Staff Sgt. Nicole Mejia This piece is co-authored by Center for Strategic and International Studies Americas Program Senior Fellow, Dr. Ryan C. Berg, and SSP student, Allison Schwartz. In his … Continue reading The Dragon Descends Southwards: Chinese Foreign Policy in Latin America Warrants a U.S. Response
Russia’s Latin America Foreign Policy Supports its Incursions in Ukraine
Russian troops enter Perevalne base, a Ukrainian military installation located in Crimea, during the Crimean Crisis of 2014. Photo Credit: Anton Holoborodko Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and its sponsorship of an ongoing separatist insurgency in Eastern Ukraine was largely met with widespread international condemnation. The United States and European Union levied sanctions against … Continue reading Russia’s Latin America Foreign Policy Supports its Incursions in Ukraine
Fighting Venezuelan Corruption at Home: Money Laundering Vulnerabilities in US Real Estate Markets
An overhead view of real-estate property in Miami. The Maduro regime’s cronies have leveraged loopholes in US real-estate markets to launder money on behalf of the Venezuelan government. Photo Credit: PxHere In June of 2020, the federal government seized two multimillion-dollar Miami properties owned by Jesus Veroes and Luis Chacin, Venezuelan businessmen who pled guilty … Continue reading Fighting Venezuelan Corruption at Home: Money Laundering Vulnerabilities in US Real Estate Markets
Climate Change and COVID-19: Threat Multipliers in the Caribbean
Students at the Sixth Form of Government Secondary School in Trinidad and Tobago take part in activities during Caribbean Climate Change Day of Action in October 2009. Photo Credit: 350.org The rapid spread of COVID-19 has forced many states to turn their attention away from climate change in order to address the pandemic’s effects. However, … Continue reading Climate Change and COVID-19: Threat Multipliers in the Caribbean
China’s Arms Diplomacy in Venezuela Affects Stability in the Western Hemisphere
Soldiers of the Venezuelan National Guard ride Chinese-manufactured armored vehicles during a 2014 parade commemorating the death of former Venezuelan leader Hugo Chávez. Photo Credit: Xavier Granja Cedeño / Ecuadorean Chancellery Venezuela declared in late September that it had obtained a new shipment of Chinese C-802A anti-ship cruise missiles, which can target vessels more than … Continue reading China’s Arms Diplomacy in Venezuela Affects Stability in the Western Hemisphere
Checkmating Chavismo: An Evaluation of US Sanctions Against Venezuela
In this article, guest contributor Dr. Ryan C. Berg and columnist Josh Chang evaluate the effectiveness of US sanctions on the Maduro regime in Venezuela and offer recommendations on how to improve the sanctions framework with the ultimate goal of facilitating a democratic transition in the country.
A Tale of Two Rogue States: The Iran-Venezuela Partnership
Iran and Venezuela find themselves on the receiving end of high-pressure US sanctions for gross abuses of international norms and human rights. They are ostracized by regional neighbors for these violations. Their regimes openly embrace an ideology of anti-imperialism that viciously criticizes what they perceive to be Washington’s interventionist foreign policy, which unites them in what Alberto Garrido dubs a “strategic alliance.”
The Bolivarian “Popular Mobilization Forces”: Paramilitary Groups in Venezuela and the Broader Implications for Regional Security
Supporters of President Nicolas Maduro, known as "colectivos," parade in on their motorbikes while anti-government supporters take part in a walkout against Maduro in Caracas on Jan. 30, 2019. Venezuelans are exiting their homes and workplaces in a walkout organized by the opposition to demand that Maduro leave power. Photo Credit: Rodrigo Abd/AP. The Popular … Continue reading The Bolivarian “Popular Mobilization Forces”: Paramilitary Groups in Venezuela and the Broader Implications for Regional Security
The Bolivarian Armed Forces of Venezuela and Regime Security: Perspectives from the Inside-Out
Caracas (Venezuela), March 5, 2014. The Foreign Minister of Ecuador, Ricardo Patiño, participated in the commemoration of the death of Commander Hugo Chávez Frías. Photo: Xavier Granja Cedeño / Ecuador Ministry of Foreign Affairs In her book The Dictator’s Army, Caitlin Talmadge describes the contrast between militaries that condition themselves to fight conventional wars against … Continue reading The Bolivarian Armed Forces of Venezuela and Regime Security: Perspectives from the Inside-Out