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JGI Policy Newsletter Catalog

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Stay informed with our comprehensive newsletter catalog, designed to bring together the most relevant sources on the key dynamics shaping Latin America and the Caribbean. This catalog highlights essential readings, reports, and analyses across a wide spectrum of issues, including: External Actors, Transnational Crime, Critical Minerals, Cyber and AI, Economics and Trade, Elections and Democracy, Foreign Policy and Regional Engagement, Migration, and Politics and Governance.

Our catalog serves as a trusted resource to navigate the complexities and opportunities emerging in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Podcast - Europe, Brazil and beyond: Is the populist wave gathering momentum?:

Source: Chatham House

Podcast - Strictly Family Business:

Gil Guerra | Source: Hudson Institute

Podcast - A Bad Year for Incumbents:

Walter Russell Mead | Source: Hudson Institute

Regional Highlight - 15 Essays on Latin America (in Spanish):

Evan Ellis | Source: Evan Ellis Substack

Crime - Ecuador Shifts Pressure on Los Choneros from Leadership to Logistics Networks:

Guillermo Saavedra | Source: Dialogo Americas

Crime - Operation Ultramar: Dominican Republic, US Disrupt Traffickers in the Central Caribbean:

Joint Interagency Task Force South | Source: Dialogo Americas

Crime - The US Blacklists Alleged Venezuelan Cyber Crime Mastermind:

David González, Laura Weffer, Lilia Saul Rodríguez, Kevin G. Hall | Source: Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project

Crime - Tiguerones Leader ‘Willy’ Is Living Free in Spain:

Abby Pender | Source: InSight Crime

Crime - Operation High Eagle: Combatting Cartel Drones at the Mexico-U.S. border:

Source: Small Wars Journal

Crime - Weapons Analysis: ELN and FARC Guerrillas Operating Armed Drones:

Source: Small Wars Journal

China - Beyond Zero-Sum: Why AI Demands Digital Westphalia Nestled in Shared Governance:

Warwick Powell | Source: China US Focus

China - Chinese cyber spies are stalking Central American governments:

Yarely Madrid | Source: Expediente Publico

Economics and Trade - The growth of remittances, the effect on income and investment in Guatemala: Scenarios for 2026:

Manuel Orozco | Source: Inter-American Dialogue

Elections - Europe, Brazil and beyond: Is the populist wave gathering momentum?:

Bronwen Maddox and Nic Lawley | Source: Chatham House

Elections - Haiti must not rush to reschedule elections. A credible, secure electoral process is the priority:

Dr. Christopher Sabatini and Johannes Hamels | Source: Chatham House

Elections - Brazil’s Far-Right Resurgence: The Bolsonaro family looks likely to retake the presidency:

Catherine Osborn | Source: Foreign Policy

Elections - Brazil’s 2026 Election: What to Know About the Lula-Bolsonaro Runoff:

Mary Kate Godfrey and Diana Roy | Source: Council on Foreign Relations

Foreign Policy and Engagement - The Human Side of Security:

Lila Abed and Miguel Torruco Garza | Source: Inter-American Dialogue

Foreign Policy and Engagement - Civil Society Organizations and Migrant Children: Regional Meeting:

Mercedes Davico and Antonio Fonseca | Source: Inter-American Dialogue

Foreign Policy and Engagement - North Capital Forum 2026: No Scrubs—Raising the Standard for North American Security:

Lila Abed, Daniel P. Erikson, and Cecilia Farfán-Méndez | Source: Inter-American Dialogue

Politics and Governance - Cuba's Mass Exodus: How Losing a Quarter of the Population has Changed the Island:

Will Freeman | Source: Council on Foreign Relations

Podcast - Is Latin America Poised for Takeoff?:

Ernesto Revilla | Source: Americas Quarterly

Podcast - Lower Than Tokyo: Mexico's Fertility Shock and Growth Puzzle:

Mariana Campero | Source: Center for Strategic and International Studies

Podcast - Beyond Kinetic Dominance: “Cognitive Coherence” in Irregular Warfare:

Isnel López-Valencia | Source: InSight Crime

Podcast - Dispatch From Culiacán: Two Years of the Sinaloa Cartel War | The InSight Take:

Deborah Bonello | Source: InSight Crime

Podcast - Will Putin Join the Miami G20 Summit?:

Peter Zeihan | Source: Zeihan on Geopolitics

Podcast - SpaceX Deploys 26 Satellites with New Starship:

Peter Zeihan | Source: Zeihan on Geopolitics

China, Russia, Iran - America’s Best Answer to the China-Russia Alliance:

Daniel S. Hamilton and Angela Stent | Source: Foreign Policy

China, Russia, and Iran - Assessing Chinese and U.S. Technology Diffusion Capacity:

Francesca Ghiretti, Naoko Aoki, Fiona Quimbre, Jon Schmid, Anton Shenk, Nathaniel Edenfield, Conlan Ellis | Source: RAND

Crime - Gang leadership in Guatemala is also inherited:

Source: Expediente Publico

Crime - Social Media is Fertile Ground for Illegal Mining Players in Peru:

James Bargent | Source: InSight Crime

Crime - R1’s Arrest Exposes the CJNG’s Network of ‘R’ Commanders:

Abby Pender | Source: InSight Crime

Crime - The Garífuna’s Fight for Land on Honduras’ Cocaine Coast:

Liza Schmidt and María Fernanda Ramírez | Source: InSight Crime

Crime - Guatemala Strengthens Border Security Through Intelligence and Cooperation:

Sabina Nicholls | Source: Dialogo Americas

Crime - Costa Rica Faces Increasingly Diversified Illicit Arms Market:

Lorena Baires | Source: Dialogo Americas

Crime - Cocaine Boatmen Are Being Blown Up By US Airstrikes, But The Drugs Keep Flowing From Colombia:

Nathan Jaccard | Source: Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project

Crime - Guns, Camouflage, and Facebook: How Colombia’s Biggest ‘Narcoinfluencer’ Weaponized Social Media:

Nathan Jaccard | Source: Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project

Crime - SWJ–El Centro Book Review — States of Exception: Criminal Armed Groups and the Evolution of South American Policing:

John P. Sullivan and Pablo Baisotti | Source: Small Wars Journal

Cyber and AI - The Battle for Latin America’s AI Future:

Brian Fonseca and Alexandra Bishop | Source: Americas Quarterly

Cyber and AI - Can Latin America Become a Data Center Powerhouse?:

Andrés Oppenheimer | Source: Americas Quarterly

Cyber and AI - The Real Danger May Be AI as Dumb as Us:

Joshua Keating | Source: Foreign Policy

Elections - Brazil’s Election: Four Points to Understand the First-Round Results:

Luisa Leme and Chase Harrison | Source: Council of the Americas

Elections - Brian Winter on NPR about Brazil's Presidential Election and What it Means for the U.S.:

Carrie Kahn | Source: Council of the Americas

Elections - Brazil’s 2026 Elections: Post-Elections Assessment, First Round:

Bruna Santos, Giulia Branco Spiess, Mauricio Moura, and Clifford Young | Source: Inter-American Dialogue

Foreign Policy and Engagement - The risks of the strategic petroleum reserve’s four-decade low:

Jamie Webster and Morgan D. Bazilian | Source: Atlantic Council

Foreign Policy and Engagement - Trump in Latin America: A Before-and-After in Brazil; Latin America Opines on Washington:

Chase Harrison and Carin Zissis | Source: Council of the Americas

Foreign Policy and Engagement - The UN’s Next Secretary-General: A Test for Latin America?:

Susana Berruecos | Source: Canning House

Foreign Policy and Engagement - How the U.S. Can Once Again Lead on Human Rights:

Suzanne Nossel | Source: Foreign Policy

Foreign Policy and Engagement - Latin America’s ‘Right-Wing Wave’ Isn’t About Trump:

James Bosworth | Source: World Politics Review

Foreign Policy and Engagement - UNITAS 2026: Partner Nations, US Build Bonds, Strengthen Regional Security:

Christopher Hurd | Source: Dialogo Americas

Foreign Policy and Engagement - At the U.N., Latin America Agreed Only When It Cost Nothing:

Orlando J. Pérez | Source: World Politics Review

Podcast - Paraguay’s Moment: A New Chapter for Development:

Juliana Rubio | Source: Center for Strategic and International Studies

Podcast - LatAm in Focus: As Brazil Faces a Familiar Rivalry, What's Changed for Voters?:

Luisa Leme | Source: Council of the Americas

Podcast - The AI Race: U.S. vs. China:

Peter Zeihan | Source: Zeihan on Geopolitics

Podcast - China’s Hold on Congolese Cobalt:

Peter Zeihan | Source: Zeihan on Geopolitics

Podcast - The Venezuela Oil Deal Is Just the Start:

Peter Zeihan | Source: Zeihan on Geopolitics

Regional Highlight - Cuba’s Debate Is Missing What Cubans Want:

Orlando J. Pérez | Source: Americas Quarterly

Regional Highlight - Central America, Venezuela and Cuba: views from the UN General Assembly:

Sharon Ardon | Source: Expediente Publico

China - What did the Trump-Xi summit actually accomplish?:

Ryan Hass, John L. Thornton, Chen-Fu, Cecilia Yen Koo, Melanie W. Sisson, Yun Sun, Susan A. Thornton, Kari Heerman, Vanda Felbab-Brown, Jonathan A. Czin, Mireya Solís, Michael E. O’Hanlon, and Scott M. Moore | Source: Brookings

China - The Limits of Trump and Xi’s Photo-Op Summit:

David Sacks | Source: Council on Foreign Relations

China - China and the United States: The AI and Robotics Revolution and Its Impact on the Rest of the World:

Evan Ellis | Source: Evan Ellis Substack

China - Chinese solar plant still lacks transparency:

Yarely Madrid | Source: Expediente Publico

China - The Scope and Nature of the U.S.-China Competition:

Michael J. Mazarr, Amanda Kerrigan, Sam Plapinger, Jenna Murray, Gregory Weider Fauerbach, Habiba Ahmed, Benjamin Lenain, Marzia Giambertoni, Trevor Johnston, Tim McDonald, et al. | Source: RAND

Crime - Ecuador Tightens Regional Net Around Transnational Organized Crime:

Julieta Pelcastre | Source: Dialogo Americas

Crime - Terrorist Designations Increase Pressure on Criminal Networks in Ecuador:

Julieta Pelcastre | Source: Dialogo Americas

Crime - Satellite blackout of fishing boats in the Caribbean of Honduras:

Yarely Madrid | Source: Expediente Publico

Crime - From violence to disinformation: How organized crime shapes Mexico’s media landscape:

Siria Gastelum Felix and Darwin Franco | Source: Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime

Crime - Cocaine corridors: Changing trafficking routes from Latin America and the Caribbean to Europe:

Gabriel Funari | Source: Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime

Crime - In Costa Rica, Fernandez’s Fight With the Judiciary Puts Her Security Agenda at Risk:

James Bosworth | Source: World Politics Review

Cyber and AI - China’s AI Expansion in Latin America: Security Risks:

Maria Zuppello | Source: Dialogo Americas

Cyber and AI - How AI Anxiety Turns Into Extremism:

James Paterson | Source: Foreign Policy

Cyber and AI - Whose treaty is it anyway? The present and future of the UN cybercrime convention:

Ian Tennant and Helena Yixin Huang | Source: Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime

Economics and Trade - Brazil’s Economy Is Slowing. Will It Ruin Lula’s Chances?:

Alessandra Ribeiro | Source: Americas Quarterly

Elections - Brazil’s upcoming election is bigger than Lula or Bolsonaro:

Ricardo Sennes and Valentina Sader | Source: Atlantic Council

Elections - What kind of Brazil will emerge from this election?:

Ted Piccone, Diana Paz García, Bruce Jones, Valerie Wirtschafter, Emily Markovich Morris, and Carolina Campos | Source: Brookings

Elections - Crime and security take center stage in Brazil’s election:

Vanda Felbab-Brown | Source: Brookings

Elections - The Terrorism Threat to the 2026 Midterm Elections: What the Data Tells Us:

Daniel Byman and Riley McCabe | Source: Center for Strategic and International Studies

Elections - Brazil’s Election Won’t Fix Its Biggest Problems:

Adam Goldsmith | Source: Foreign Policy

Elections - How Flávio Bolsonaro Sees the World:

Catherine Osborn | Source: Foreign Policy

Foreign Policy and Engagement - What Does the Greenland Deal Mean for North American Security?:

Christopher Hernandez-Roy, Alex Dalziel, Henry Ziemer, and Otto Svendsen | Source: Center for Strategic and International Studies

Foreign Policy and Engagement - Trump in Latin America: The U.S. Factor in Brazil’s Vote and a Shield Debate in Chile:

Chase Harrison and Khalea Robertson | Source: Council of the Americas

Foreign Policy and Engagement - Evaluation of U.S. Policies to Increase Domestic Access to Critical Minerals:

Tom LaTourrette, Omar Aboulezz, Scott Behmer, Tom Blaubach | Source: RAND

Foreign Policy and Engagement - At the U.N., Latin America Agreed Only When It Cost Nothing:

Orlando J. Pérez | Source: World Politics Review

Politics and Governance - Why does the Honduran Human Rights Secretariat have armored weapons?:

Yarely Madrid | Source: Expediente Publico

Podcast - The Future of U.S. Development Finance in the Americas:

Christopher Hernandez-Roy | Source: Center for Strategic and International Studies

Video - US Drug Certification: Law Enforcement or Politics?:

Deborah Bonello and Jeremy McDermott | Source: InSight Crime

Crime - A network in Colombia that recruited victims and transported them to Spain for labour exploitation has been dismantled:

Tony Kingham | Source: Border Security Report

Crime - South American Countries Join Forces to Counter Expansion of Criminal Networks:

Eduardo Szklarz/Diálogo | Source: Dialogo Americas

Crime - Following the Data, Not Just the Money: New Tools to Target Transnational Crime Finances:

Guillermo Saavedra/Diálogo | Source: Dialogo Americas

Crime - Cross-Border Alliances Link Colombia’s Cocaine Corridors to Ecuador’s Criminal Networks:

Oliver Lawson/Diálogo | Source: Dialogo Americas

Crime - Regional Partners Integrate Intelligence and Capabilities Against Transnational Criminal Networks:

Julieta Pelcastre/Diálogo | Source: Dialogo Americas

Crime - Trafficking of Contraband Weight Loss Drugs From Paraguay to Brazil Spikes:

Christopher Newton, Marina Cavalari and Abby Pender | Source: InSight Crime

Crime - What Jungle Graffiti Says About the Destruction of Guatemala’s Sierra Lacandón National Park:

Parker Asmann | Source: InSight Crime

China - From China Shock to China Choke:

Marcos Troyjo | Source: Americas Quarterly

China - As Xi Visits Trump: Five Charts on China’s Latin America Ties:

Khalea Robertson | Source: Council of the Americas

China - Xi Jinping’s Return to Washington: A State Visit to Build Stability:

Edgard D. Kagan | Source: Center for Strategic and International Studies

China - The State of AI Global Governance and Its Implications for the U.S.-China Summit:

Christopher Collins and Aalok Mehta | Source: Center for Strategic and International Studies

China - The U.S.-China Summit: Too Big and Too Small to Fail:

Scott Kennedy | Source: Center for Strategic and International Studies

Critical Minerals - Will a Multinational Deal Foster Critical Minerals Projects?:

Source: Inter-American Dialogue

Cyber and AI - IDB, Bicycle Capital, and AS/COA Welcomed Heads of State for Discussion on AI:

Source: Council of the Americas

Cyber and AI - Defense Industrial Mobilization Needs More Than Startups and Drones:

Martin Novella | Source: Irregular Warfare Initiative

Elections - What Washington May Misread in Brazil’s Election:

Fernanda Magnotta | Source: Americas Quarterly

Elections - A Banking Scandal Becomes an Electoral Minefield in Brazil:

Sylvia Colombo | Source: World Politics Review

Foreign Policy and Engagement - Fortifying USMCA through US–Mexico investment screening coordination:

Source: Atlantic Council

Foreign Policy and Engagement - What’s at stake at UNGA 2026?:

Bruno Cardoso Reis, Jeffrey Feltman, Caren Grown, Emily Gustafsson-Wright, Richaa Hoysala, Emily Markovich Morris, Michael E. O’Hanlon, Modupe (Mo) Olateju, Brad Olsen, Sweta Shah, Landry Signé, David G. Victor, and Rebecca Winthrop | Source: Brookings

Foreign Policy and Engagement - Paraguay’s Next Development Chapter:

Juliana Rubio and Henry Ziemer | Source: Center for Strategic and International Studies

Foreign Policy and Engagement - Is Venezuela Moving Toward Democracy?:

Christopher Hernandez-Roy and Antonella Navarro | Source: Center for Strategic and International Studies

Politics and Governance - Why Are Academic Scores Lagging in Some Countries?:

Source: Inter-American Dialogue

Politics and Governance - Brazil’s Healthcare Policy Landscape: Recent Regulatory Developments and What to Watch:

Source: Inter-American Dialogue

Russia - New voices, old friends: How Russia targets its messaging in the Global South:

Casey Michel | Source: Atlantic Council

Podcast - Brazil’s Scandal-Plagued Election:

Thomas Traumann | Source: Americas Quarterly

Podcast - An Update on U.S.-Mexico Firearms Trafficking:

Henry Ziemer | Source: Center for Strategic and International Studies

Crime - Mexico’s Homicides Are Falling, but a Broader Violence Crisis Persists:

Jacques Coste | Source: Americas Quarterly

Crime - More than 4.5 kilos of cocaine base and other illicit substances were detected during checks in Antofagasta, Chile:

Tony Kingham | Source: Border Security Report

Crime - Guatemala’s Drug Route: The New Geography of Organized Crime:

Maria Zuppello | Source: Dialogo Americas

Crime - CJNG Networks Face Coordinated Pressure Across the Hemisphere:

Maria Zuppello | Source: Dialogo Americas

Crime - Caribbean Integrates Citizen Reporting into Regional Intelligence:

Guillermo Saavedra | Source: Dialogo Americas

Crime - US Drops Venezuela From Its Drugs Blacklist. Colombia Could Be Next | The InSight Take:

Liza Schmidt | Source: InSight Crime

Crime - Despite Crackdowns, Argentina’s Menores Persist:

Stella Horrell | Source: InSight Crime

Crime - Ecuador Convicts 15 People, 5 Companies in $398 Million Drug Money Case:

Source: Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project

China - Why Is the U.S. Letting China Write the Rules for AI in Cities?:

Willow Fortunoff, Sameera Salari, and Ben Polsky | Source: Harvard Belfer

China - Trump and Xi Have No Joint Plan for a Rogue AI Attack. Tech Moguls Should:

Candace Rondeaux | Source: World Politics Review

Economics and Trade - Brazil’s Economy Is Slowing. Will It Ruin Lula’s Chances?:

Alessandra Ribeiro | Source: Americas Quarterly

Economics and Trade - Insights on Trends in Remittances to Latin America and the Caribbean, 2026:

Manuel Orozco | Source: Inter-American Dialogue

Economics and Trade - Long Term Growth in Latin America Briefing with Gabriel Yorio:

Daniel Domsky and Ximena Junquera | Source: Inter-American Dialogue

Economics and Trade - Trump’s Opaque Venezuelan Oil Fund Is the Tip of the Iceberg:

Judah Grunstein | Source: World Politics and Review

Emerging Tech, AI, and Space - Why AI’s Biggest Rivals Are Suddenly Calling for Restraint:

Conner Martin | Source: Council on Foreign Relations

Emerging Tech, AI, and Space - Panama Strengthens Maritime, Border, and Cybersecurity Capabilities with US Support:

Lorena Baires | Source: Dialogo Americas

Emerging Tech, AI, and Space - The AI Industry Is Coalescing on “Pacing the Frontier.” Will It Actually Change Anything?:

Aalok Mehta | Source: Center for Strategic and International Studies

Emerging Tech, AI, and Space - A U.S. Strategy to Secure Geopolitical Advantage on an Uncertain Path to Superintelligence:

Joel B. Predd, Benjamin Boudreaux, Matt Chessen, Beba Cibralic, Edward Geist, Kamaria Horton, Amanda Kerrigan, William Marcellino, Shanshan Mei, Jared Mondschein, et al. | Source: RAND

Foreign Policy and Engagement - Trump in Latin America: Trade Paths for Mexico, Diplo Chatter in Chile, Delcy Eyes NYC:

Chase Harrison and Carin Zissis | Source: Council of the Americas

Foreign Policy and Engagement - How Is a Changing World Reshaping Perspectives in the Americas?:

Carin Zissis , Luisa Leme and Chase Harrison | Source: Council of the Americas

Foreign Policy and Engagement - What Did Rubio Accomplish on His Trip to the Region?:

Michael Shifter, Emily Mendrala, Cynthia J. Arnson, and R. Evan Ellis | Source: Inter-American Dialogue

Foreign Policy and Engagement - The Pulse of Democracy in the Americas:

Rebecca Bill Chavez | Source: Inter-American Dialogue

Foreign Policy and Engagement - Popular Support for Democracy in Latin America Doesn’t Ensure Its Survival:

James Bosworth | Source: World Politics Review

Politics and Governance - The Nicaraguan Situation: Political Evolution and the Role of the Organization of American States:

Yifang Wang | Source: Inter-American Dialogue

Russia - Russia’s Enduring Role in Latin America and Its Implications for U.S. Hemispheric Interests:

Elina Treyger and Samantha Perez Davila | Source: RAND

Podcast - How Latin Americans Feel About the U.S., Democracy, Their Economies and More:

Noam Lupu | Source: Americas Quarterly

Podcast - Will Trump’s Pressure on Canada Break the USMCA?:

Christopher Hernandez-Roy, Diego Marroquín Bitar, and Will Todman | Source: Center for Strategic and International Studies

Podcast - Brian Winter on Bloomberg podcast about the debate between security and freedoms in Latin America:

Brian Winter | Source: Council of the Americas

Podcast - The InSight Take: Organized Crime in Brazil’s Elections:

Steven Dudley and Christopher Newton | Source: InSight Crime

Regional Highlight - Nicaragua’s Dictatorship Deepens: What Can the International Community Do?:

Christopher Hernandez-Roy, Henry Ziemer, Kaela Werchniak, and Antonella Navarro | Source: Center for Strategic and International Studies

Regional Highlight - Nicaragua’s Army Will Decide What Comes After Ortega:

Orlando J. Pérez and Randy Pestana | Source: War on the Rocks

Regional Highlight - Insecurity in Guatemala: the budget grows, but confidence does not.:

Source: Expediente Publico

China - Dragon in the Americas: China's Power, Presence, and Regional Influence (Routledge Studies in Latin American Politics):

Leland Lazarus | Source: Routledge Studies in Latin American Politics

China - Evan Ellis (New Book) - Chinese Engagement in Latin America: New Patterns and Challenges:

Evan Ellis | Source: Interamerican Institute for Democracy

China - Chinese interference in Honduras materialized in 18 commitments:

Sharon Ardon | Source: Expediente Publico

Crime - Maritime Security in Latin America and the Caribbean: A New Landscape of Challenges and Cooperation:

Juan Pablo Toro | Source: Dialogo Americas

Crime - On the Radar: Ecuador Boat Strikes, Peru Prisons, and Bolivia’s Coca Surge:

Liza Schmidt | Source: InSight Crime

Crime - How a Food Program Fueled Venezuela’s Organized Crime:

Venezuela Investigative Unit | Source: InSight Crime

Crime - Cocaine corridors: Changing trafficking routes from Latin America and the Caribbean to Europe:

Gabriel Funari | Source: Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime

Foreign Policy and Engagement - Support for Democracy—but also Strongmen—Is Rising in Latin America:

Noam Lupu | Source: Americas Quarterly

Foreign Policy and Engagement - Why a Shield for Democracy in the Americas is Under Strain:

Thomas Legler | Source: Americas Quarterly

Foreign Policy and Engagement - Turning early alignment into a durable US-Colombia partnership:

Carolina Barco and Kevin Whitaker | Source: Atlantic Council

Foreign Policy and Engagement - How to Survive in a World Without Rules:

Source: Foreign Policy

Foreign Policy and Engagement - What Will Result From U.S.-Canada Trade Tensions?:

Kellie Meiman, Hock Kristen Hopewell, Nick Iacovella, and Dan Ciuriak | Source: Inter-American Dialogue

Politics and Governance - In Milei’s Argentina, History, Politics and Identity Collide Amid Unease Over Israel Ties:

Daniella Fernández Realin | Source: World Politics Review

Podcast - Colombia: An Early Test for the New Government:

Former Finance Minister Mauricio Cárdenas | Source: Americas Quarterly

China, Russia, and Iran - China’s Lithium Push Deepens Latin America’s Strategic Dependence:

Diálogo | Source: Dialogo Americas

China, Russia, and Iran - How Taiwan’s Development Work in the Caribbean Can Counteract Chinese Influence:

Juliana Rubio and Kaela Werchniak | Source: Center for Strategic and International Studies

Crime - From Evidence to Intelligence: Forensic Science Strengthens Fight Against Transnational Crime:

Julieta Pelcastre | Source: Dialogo Americas

Crime - On the Radar: The End of Colombia’s Total Peace?:

Liza Schmidt | Source: InSight Crime

Crime - The US Anti-Drug Missile Strikes Are Back. But Are They Working?:

Sean Doherty | Source: InSight Crime

Crime - How AI Supported Research on Tren de Aragua in Brazil:

Marina Cavalari | Source: InSight Crime

Crime - Conflict-Tainted Venezuelan Gold Entered World Market Through Caribbean Island, Documents Indicate:

James O’Brien/OCCRP | Source: Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project

Crime - Cabinet of the Blacklisted: Sanctioned Loyalists Take Charge of Venezuela’s Quake Relief:

Laura Weffer, Valentina Lares, and David González | Source: Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project

Cyber and AI - A Case for Cyber Privateering:

Luke Alsip | Source: Irregular Warfare Initiative

Economics and Trade - Fujimori’s First Month: Economic Momentum, Questions Still to Come:

Luis Miguel Castilla | Source: Americas Quarterly

Elections - The Battle for Brazil’s Swing Voters: Women:

Thomas Traumann | Source: Americas Quarterly

Foreign Policy and Engagement - Takeaways from the 2026 International AIDS Conference:

Source: Center for Strategic and International Studies

Foreign Policy and Engagement - Trump in Latin America: Venezuela Oil Deal Spurs Questions; U.S.-Brazil Trade Talks Resume:

Carin Zissis , Chase Harrison and Luisa Leme | Source: Council of the Americas

Foreign Policy and Engagement - Georgia Guard Soldiers Train Alongside US, Panamanian Partners in Jungle Operations:

Army Major Amanda Russell/Georgia National Guard | Source: Dialogo Americas

Foreign Policy and Engagement - SOUTHAM 2026 Brings South American Air Chiefs Together to Address Regional Challenges:

Andrea Jenkins/U.S. Air Forces Southern | Source: Dialogo Americas

Foreign Policy and Engagement - Trump’s Oil Deal With Venezuela Doesn’t Pass the Sniff Test:

James Bosworth | Source: World Politics Review

Regional Highlight - Friday Reading List - 28 August 2026:

James Bosworth | Source: LATAM Risk Report

China, Russia, and Iran - Why China’s export-maximizing strategy is working—for now:

Martin Mühleisen | Source: Atlantic Council

China, Russia, and Iran - The hidden tradeoffs of using Trump’s tariffs as leverage with China:

Kari Heerman | Source: Brookings

China, Russia, and Iran - What’s Behind China’s Problematic Advance in Uruguay?:

Evan Ellis | Source: Center for Strategic and International Studies

China, Russia, and Iran - AI made in China: the machinery that translates, rewrites narrative and censors Latin American media:

Yarely Madrid | Source: Expediente Publico

China, Russia, and Iran - China shows capacity for coercion in Argentina:

Tomás Guevara | Source: Expediente Publico

China, Russia, and Iran - China’s Expansion in Squid Fishery Poses New Maritime Security Challenges:

Juan Delgado | Source: Dialogo Americas

Crime - ‘Ndrangheta in Ecuador: A Growing Threat to Regional Security:

Paolo Manzo | Source: Dialogo Americas

Crime - Will Kast’s Security Agenda Succeed at Making Chile Safer?:

Lucía Dammert, Catalina Droppelmann, and Patricio Navia | Source: Inter-American Dialogue

Crime - Why Guaviare Matters: FARC Dissident Rivalries Threaten Colombia’s Strategic Trafficking Corridors:

Oliver Lawson | Source: Dialogo Americas

Cyber and AI - Ports, Data, and Critical Infrastructure: Protecting Guatemala’s Strategic Assets:

Maria Zuppello | Source: Dialogo Americas

Cyber and AI - Panama Strengthens Cyber Defense to Protect Critical Infrastructure:

Lorena Baires | Source: Dialogo Americas

Economics and Trade - A Colombia-Venezuela agenda for recovery, security, and economic growth:

US-Colombia Strategic Alignment Coalition | Source: Atlantic Council

Foreign Policy and Engagement - The U.S. president will remain disruptive on the global stage, but he is losing his coercive powers.:

Ravi Agrawal | Source: Foreign Policy

Foreign Policy and Engagement - The confidential agreements that Xiomara Castro signed with Cuba and Venezuela:

Sharon Ardon | Source: Expediente Publico

Foreign Policy and Engagement - Western Hemisphere Progressives Plot a Comeback:

Catherine Osborn | Source: Foreign Policy

Migration - Breaking the human smuggling policy trap: Small boats, smuggling networks and the case for a holistic response:

Tuesday Reitano | Source: Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime

Podcast - Venezuela’s Transition Talks:

Anatoly Kurmanaev | Source: Americas Quarterly

Podcast - So what’s the strategy for democracy in 2026?:

Matthew Kroenig and Damon Wilson | Source: Atlantic Council

Podcast - Can AI Change How We Deal with Disasters?:

Jessica Jensen and Glen L. Woodbury | Source: RAND

China, Russia, and Iran - The Donroe Doctrine’s China Paradox:

Fernanda Magnotta | Source: Americas Quarterly

China, Russia, and Iran - Correspondence: The Challenge of Studying What China Wants:

Rush Doshi, Andrea Ghiselli, and Todd Hall | Source: Belfer Center

Crime - Border Security Report (Jul/Aug Edition):

Source: Border Security Report

Crime - The spiking threat: Mexican cartels in Europe, Canada, Africa, the Asia-Pacific, and Latin America:

Vanda Felbab-Brown | Source: Brookings

Crime - What Factors Are Fueling Uruguay’s Security Challenges?:

Nicolás Saldías, Ignacio Munyo, Inés Fynn, and Debbie Sharnak | Source: Inter-American Dialogue

Crime - Families Displaced by the Ardillos Return Home in Guerrero, Mexico:

Aranza Jimenez | Source: InSight Crime

Cyber and AI - Deterrence by Resilience: Securing the United States and Promoting Innovation in the Age of Bioconvergence:

Elizabeth D. Sherwood-Randall and J. Michael McQuade | Source: Belfer Center

Cyber and AI - Stablecoins can transform the Global South by reimagining digital finance, trade, and development:

Landry Signé | Source: Brookings

Cyber and AI - Drone Warfare Comes to Latin America:

Gene Kuleta | Source: Inter-American Dialogue

Economics and Trade - Latin America’s Fading Demographic Tailwind:

Eduardo Levy Yeyati and Rafael Rofman | Source: Americas Quarterly

Economics and Trade - In Charts: Latin American Oil Gains Ground in a Disrupted Global Market:

Khalea Robertson | Source: Council of the Americas

Foreign Policy and Engagement - Democracy Under Stress and the Transformation of the Global Order:

Evan Ellis | Source: Center for Strategic and International Studies

Foreign Policy and Engagement - Trump in Latin America: U.S. Aids Post-Earthquake Colombia, Hegseth Touts Joint Operations:

Chase Harrison | Source: Council of the Americas

Podcast - Latin America Joins the Space Race:

Americas Quarterly - featuring JGI Senior Fellow, Laura Delgado Lopez

Podcast - “Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Terrorism”: Audio Brief with Dan Byman:

Center for Strategic and International Studies

Podcast - USMCA Review Deadline with CSIS's Diego Marroquín Bitar:

Center for Strategic and International Studies

Video - This is not another podcast about a kingpin.:

InSight Crime

Regional Highlight - NEW AQ: Latin America Looks to the Stars:

Americas Quarterly & Florida International University

Regional Highlight - Latin America's Evolving Strategic Panorama:

Evan Ellis Substack

Regional Highlight - Latin American Risk Advisor:

Inter-American Dialogue

Regional Highlight - IWI’s Summer 2026 Reading List:

Irregular Warfare Initiative

Venezuela - Venezuela’s Shattered Post-Quakes Economy:

Americas Quarterly

Venezuela - Trump in Latin America: Brazil Readies for Tariffs; Venezuela Opens Oil to Private Sector:

Council of the Americas

Venezuela - LatAm in Focus: Financing Venezuela’s Future in the Aftermath of Disaster:

Council of the Americas

Crime - Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Terrorism:

Center for Strategic and International Studies

Crime - A conversation with Minister Alejandra Monteoliva:

Inter-American Dialogue

Cyber, Space, and AI - Blind Spot Indicators for Space:

RAND

Foreign Policy and Engagement - Industrial Property under the USMCA: Commitments, Challenges, and Opportunities:

Inter-American Dialogue

Politics and Governance - Nicaragua's Opposition Must Prepare for a Succession Crisis:

Evan Ellis Substack

Politics and Governance - The Other American Anniversary: The 1826 Congress of Panama sought to resist the predations of great powers. It was as relevant then as it is now.:

Foreign Policy

Politics and Governance - Latin America’s Rightward Shift Isn’t About Ideology:

World Politics Review - JGI Contributor, Orlando J. Pérez

Politics and Governance - In Guatemala, Arevalo’s Win for the Rule of Law Comes at a High Price:

World Politics Review

Podcast - A New Criminal Landscape in Latin America:

Americas Quarterly

Video - Brian Winter on CNN about Cuba's Worsening Humanitarian Situation:

Council of the Americas

Video - The InSight Take: Inside Ecuador’s Chone Killers, the Latest Addition to US Terrorism List:

InSight Crime

Regional Highlight - Tracking the Port Visits of China's Latest PLAN Hospital Ship Mission:

AidData

China, Russia, and Iran - China Buys Brazil’s Soy and Beef—Not Its Loyalty:

Americas Quarterly

China, Russia, and Iran - The People’s Liberation Army Navy’s Approach to Maintenance Management:

RAND

Crime - Drones: Accessible Technology Reshaping Threats and Strategies in Latin America:

Dialogo Americas

Crime - Maritime Security: The Hemisphere’s New Front Line Against Transnational Crime:

Dialogo Americas

Crime - Can A New President’s Hard-Line Approach Stop the Spread of Coca in Colombia?:

InSight Crime

Crime - The Last Chapitos Standing: Iván Archivaldo and Jesús Alfredo Guzmán:

InSight Crime

Critical Minerals - Everyone Wants in on Brazil’s Rare Earths, but is Brasília ready to meet the moment?:

Foreign Policy

Elections - Mexico’s Weak Opposition—and Morena’s Hidden Fragility:

Americas Quarterly

Elections - Will a Keiko Fujimori Presidency Mean the Return of Autocracy to Peru?:

World Politics Review

Foreign Policy and Engagement - Chile Hosts 5th Iteration of Exercise Salitre:

Dialogo Americas

Foreign Policy and Engagement - How Trump Lost America the World Cup:

Foreign Policy

Foreign Policy and Engagement - Flagpole to Front Lines: A Warfighter-Driven Requirements Process:

RAND

Foreign Policy and Engagement - The USMCA Misses Its World Cup Window of Opportunity:

World Politics Review

Humanitarian Assistance - How the US Supports International Earthquake Relief Efforts in Venezuela:

Dialogo Americas

Humanitarian Assistance - From Search and Rescue to Humanitarian Relief: The US Mobilizes for Venezuela:

Dialogo Americas

Humanitarian Assistance - What Urgent Needs Face Venezuela After the Earthquakes?:

Inter-American Dialogue

Video - BBC Interview with Dr. Brian Fonseca re: Venezuela earthquake (June 25, 2026):

BCC News

Video - José Enrique Arrioja on BBC News about the Post-Earthquakes Crisis in Venezuela:

BBC News

Video - Chavez: “The earthquakes happened on top of a real humanitarian crisis. 70% of the population didn’t have access to health care services, 40% of the population is food insecure, and over 60% of the population didn’t have reliable access to drinking water.”:

BBC News

Podcast - Venezuela Suffered Its Worst Earthquake in Decades: What Comes Next?:

Center for Strategic and International Studies

Podcast - Best of 35 West: Canada's Role in the Golden Dome:

Center for Strategic and International Studies

Podcast - Don’t Let the USMCA Drift Away:

Center for Strategic and International Studies

Podcast - LatAm in Focus: Alfredo Thorne on What Lies ahead for a Keiko Fujimori Presidency:

Councill of the Americas

Video - Charting Peru’s Democratic Path Forward:

Inter-American Dialogue

China, Russia, and Iran - Mission Harmony 2025 - 2026:

AidData

China, Russia, and Iran - Getting the China Dimension of USMCA Right:

Americas Quarterly

China, Russia, and Iran - A Strategic Megaproject: Chinese Infrastructure Expands in Peru:

Dialogo Americas

China, Russia, and Iran - China Strengthens Its Strategic Influence in El Salvador’s Energy Sector:

Dialogo Americas

China, Russia, and Iran - Expansion of Chinese Smart Cars in Mexico Creates Data and Logistics Vulnerabilities:

Dialogo Americas

China, Russia, and Iran - China builds an airport in the middle of nowhere:

Expediente Publico

Crime - Honduras, US Expand Cooperation Against Organized Crime:

Dialogo Americas

Crime - Corruption undermines U.S. drug war in Latin America:

FIU Jack D. Gordon Institute & Expediente Publico

Crime - India's role in global synthetic drug markets:

Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime

Crime - The new drug world: Rethinking multilateral cooperation in an age of synthetic threats:

Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime

Energy - The 2026 Atlantic Council Global Energy Forum, distilled:

Atlantic Council

Foreign Policy and Engagement - American Air Chiefs Reaffirm Commitment to Regional Security, Address Shared Challenges at CONJEFAMER 2026:

Dialogo Americas

Foreign Policy and Engagement - OAS Hardens Stance Against Nicaragua Over Regional Security Crisis:

Expediente Publico

Politics and Governance - How Will De La Espriella Govern? Previous Newcomers Offer Clues:

Americas Quarterly

Politics and Governance - Bolivia’s Governance Crisis Under Rodrigo Paz:

Center for Strategic and International Studies - Evan Ellis, FIU-JGI Senior Fellow

Podcast - LatAm in Focus: Alfredo Thorne on What Lies ahead for a Keiko Fujimori Presidency:

Council of the Americas

Podcast - The Reality of the Global Energy Situation:

Zeihan on Geopolitics

Venezuela - Earthquakes Have Often Shaken Latin American Politics:

Americas Quarterly

Venezuela - Twin Earthquakes Strike Already Vulnerable Venezuela:

Council of the Americas

Venezuela - Venezuela earthquake - June 2026:

Latin America Risk Report

Regional Highlight - Central and South America and the Caribbean, and Mexico: U.S. Army War College 2026-27 Strategic Estimate:

Evan Ellis Substack

China, Russia, and Iran - China Strengthens Its Strategic Influence in El Salvador’s Energy Sector:

Dialogo Americas

China, Russia, and Iran - Expansion of Chinese Smart Cars in Mexico Creates Data and Logistics Vulnerabilities:

Dialogo Americas

China, Russia, and Iran - Confucius Institutes: Beijing’s Academic Influence Network:

Dialogo Americas

Crime - Partnership and Cooperation: Jamaica’s Force Multiplier Against Transnational Organized Crime:

Dialogo Americas

Crime - The new drug world: Rethinking multilateral cooperation in an age of synthetic threats:

Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime

Elections - Colombia Leaps Into the Void:

Inter-American Dialogue

Foreign Policy and Engagement - Latin America’s Slow But Steady Pivot Toward Africa:

Americas Quarterly

Foreign Policy and Engagement - Amistad 2026 Builds Medical Readiness Through Partnership in Paraguay:

Dialogo Americas

Foreign Policy and Engagement - Trump in Latin America: Trump Gains an Ally in Colombia; OAS Meets in Panama:

Council of the Americas

Foreign Policy and Engagement - Twelfth Annual Building a Competitive U.S.-Mexico Border Conference:

Inter-American Dialogue

Foreign Policy and Engagement - What Will De la Espriella’s Presidency Mean for Colombia?:

Inter-American Dialogue

Foreign Policy and Engagement - From Lithium to Drinking Water, Israel’s Influence Stirs Controversy in Milei’s Argentina:

World Politics Review

Politics and Governance - El Niño Will Bring More Than Just Bad Weather to Latin America:

World Politics Review

Politics and Governance - In Brazil, the Scandal-Plagued Bolsonaro Dynasty Fights for Political Survival:

World Politics Review

Podcast - Cuba: Four Possible Scenarios:

Americas Quarterly

Video - Cuba’s Next Chapter:

Inter-American Dialogue

Regional Highlight - Cuba’s Crisis: Four Near-Term Scenarios:

Americas Quarterly - Authored by Dr. Brian Fonseca (Director of FIU-JGI) and Liany Diaz-Gonzalez (FIU-JGI Research Assistant)

Regional Highlight - Latin American Advisor:

Inter-American Dialogue

China, Russia, and Iran - China's Limited Advance in El Salvador:

Evan Ellis Substack

China, Russia, and Iran - The U.S. Can’t Exclude China From Latin America:

Foreign Policy - Authored by Dr. Brian Fonseca (Director of FIU-JGI)

China, Russia, and Iran - Challenges When Collaborating with China on Space Research and Technology:

RAND

Crime - The PCC Beyond Brazil: Criminal Adaptation, Logistical Infiltration, and Transnational Risk:

Border Security Report

Crime - A renewed security and cooperation agenda for Colombia’s next government:

Atlantic Council

Crime - A Multinational Dragnet in the Caribbean: How the Zeus Strategy Operates:

Dialogo Americas

Crime - How Regional ISR Integration Strengthens Countercrime Operations in Central America:

Dialogo Americas

Crime - The Reconfiguration of Organized Crime Under Security Pressure in Latin America:

Dialogo Americas

Crime - Prisoner's dilemma: Responding to organized crime in a new world:

Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime

Crime - The currency of global crime: How crypto is reshaping illicit economies:

Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime

Crime - What Will Come of a U.S. Designation on Brazilian Gangs?:

Inter-American Dialogue

Economics and Trade - The UAE’s Push Into Latin America Is About More Than Business Deals:

World Politics Review

Elections - Ahead of Colombia's Runoff, Candidates Make Final Plays for the Presidency:

Council of the Americas

Elections - Order, Injustice, Corruption and Polarization:

Evan Ellis Substack

Elections - Will Colombia Elect Its Own Bukele?:

Foreign Policy

Foreign Policy and Engagement - Updating the Democratic Transition Framework to chart a way forward in Venezuela:

Atlantic Council

Foreign Policy and Engagement - Tracking the U.S.-Mexico Talks in the USMCA Review:

Council of the Americas

Foreign Policy and Engagement - Ecuador and Kentucky National Guard Mark 30 Years of Partnership During Exercise EL GATO:

Dialogo Americas

Foreign Policy and Engagement - PANAMAX: A Panama-Led Effort to Strengthen Canal Security:

Dialogo Americas

Foreign Policy and Engagement - U.S. Congressional Staff Delegation to Brazil:

Inter-American Dialogue

Politics and Governance - How Strong Is Delcy Rodríguez’s Hold on Power?:

Inter-American Dialogue

Podcast - Soccer in America: From the Sidelines to the Mainstream:

Center for Strategic and International Studies

Podcast - De la Espriella, Cepeda, and Colombia’s Political Divide:

Council of the Americas

Podcast - Hidden Costs of Precision: What Drone Strikes Actually Do to Civilians:

Irregular Warfare Initiative

Regional Highlight - The OAS’s Existential Challenge:

Americas Quarterly - Co-Authored by Dr. Frank Mora, JGI Senior Fellow

Regional Highlight - Bolivia's Troubled Path with China:

Evan Ellis Substack

Regional Highlight - Friday Reading List - 12 June 2026:

LATAM Risk Report

Regional Highlight - Why the U.S. Cannot Afford to Lose Intelligence Partners:

The Cipher Brief

China, Russia, and Iran - An Unwarranted War, a Global Economic Drag:

China US Focus

China, Russia, and Iran - Can China and the U.S. Work Together on Preventing Human Extinction?:

China US Focus

China, Russia, and Iran - Chinese EVs in Brazil: Connectivity, Data, and Strategic Risks:

Dialogo Americas

China, Russia, and Iran - China’s Techno-Industrial Strategy in the Xi Era: Producing Under Pressure:

RAND

China. Russia, and Iran - Can China Afford to De-Risk From the U.S.?:

World Politics Review

Crime - Persistent Vigilance: Maritime Enforcement Adapts to Evolving Threats at Sea:

Dialogo Americas

Crime - Mexican Cartels’ Regional Networks Challenge Security Across Latin America:

Dialogo Americas

Crime - Haiti Enhances Operational Response with Gang Suppression Force:

Dialogo Americas

Crime - Commodity, currency, crime: How illicit gold markets are outpacing global responses:

Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime

Crime - On the Radar: Colombia’s ‘Otoniel,’ Venezuela’s Illegal Miners, and Mexico’s World Cup:

InSight Crime

Crime - What a Drug Bust Involving a MrBeast Winner Says About LatAm’s Marijuana Trade:

InSight Crime

Cyber and AI - Latin America’s Data Center Gold Rush: Myth and Reality:

Americas Quarterly

Cyber and AI - Generative AI, propaganda, and digital authoritarianism: Comparative insights from six democratically weakened countries:

Big Data & Society

Cyber and AI - Navigating Duality in Space: Establishing a Foundational Understanding of Dual-Use Space Activities:

RAND

Cyber and AI - Milei Wants to Unleash AI Chaos in Argentina:

World Politics Review

Foreign Policy and Engagement - Antigua and Barbuda Strengthens Maritime Security in the Eastern Caribbean:

Dialogo Americas

Podcast - Trump Wades into Brazil’s Campaign (Again):

Americas Quarterly

Video - The InSight Take: PCC and Red Command— Who Loses From US Terrorist Designations in Brazil?:

InSight Crime

Regional Highlight - US-Caribbean maritime cooperation: Why stronger ports, supply chains, and security matter now:

Atlantic Council - Event co-hosted by FIU

Regional Highlight - The Next Caribbean Crisis? Assessing U.S. Military Options Toward Cuba:

Center for Strategic and International Studies

Regional Highlight - A New Chapter: Venezuela and Regional Cooperation Against Transnational Crime:

Dialogo Americas

China, Russia, and Iran - Chinese Cyber Espionage Puts Latin America’s Critical Infrastructure at Risk:

Dialogo Americas

China, Russia, and Iran - Huawei: China's silent operator in Central America:

Expediente Publico

China, Russia, and Iran - Combating Chinese Fentanyl Trafficking: Policy Considerations for Supply Reduction and International Coordination:

RAND

Crime - Pressure, Diversification, and Fragmentation Shape Ecuador’s Criminal Landscape:

Dialogo Americas

Crime - Guatemala Strengthens Fentanyl Detection Through K-9 Capabilities:

Dialogo Americas

Crime - Massacres revive the 'iron fist' in Nasry Asfura's government:

Expediente Publico

Crime - On the Radar: Trump in Colombia’s Elections, a Blow to Tren de Aragua, and Brazil’s Terrorist Tag:

InSight Crime

Crime - Violence Between Criminal Groups and LatAm Governments Has Risen Since Trump: Report:

InSight Crime

Crime - US Terrorism Designations Will Hit the PCC’s Money—and Everyone Else’s:

InSight Crime

Crime - ‘It's Just Business’: Texts Reveal the Daily Work — and Drama — of an International Cocaine Syndicate:

Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project

Crime - Third Generation Gangs Strategic Note No. 61: Drone Strikes from Haitian ‘Task Force’ PMSC Vectus Global Kill Over Twelve-Hundred People:

Small Wars Journal

Crime - How Armed Groups Are Contesting Colombia’s Airspace With Drones:

Small Wars Journal

Cyber and AI - AI innovation:

Atlantic Council

Cyber and AI - Building talent and institutional readiness:

Atlantic Council

Cyber and AI - Governance of AI:

Atlantic Council

Cyber and AI - Supply chain:

Atlantic Council

Cyber and AI - Powering AI:

Atlantic Council

Cyber and AI - Allies and partners:

Atlantic Council

Cyber and AI - Atlantic Council Commission on AI lays a roadmap for US leadership in the age of AI:

Atlantic Council

Economics and Trade - Kast and Chile’s Investment Reset:

Americas Quarterly

Elections - Colombia Heads Toward a Polarizing Runoff:

Americas Quarterly

Elections - Four Takeaways from Colombia's First-Round Vote: De la Espriella, Cepeda Head to Runoff:

Council of the Americas

Elections - Peru Elects 2026: Ongoing Coverage of the Presidential Race—The Runoff Debate:

Council of the Americas

Foreign Policy and Engagement - CENTAM SMOKE, Building Lifesaving Partnerships:

Dialogo Americas

Foreign Policy and Engagement - Convocation 5.0 Policy Brief: North American Cooperation and the Future of Regional Integration:

Inter-American Dialogue

Podcast - The Mexico-U.S. Relationship’s Most Delicate Phase:

Americas Quarterly

Podcast - Beyond Left and Right: Colombia’s 2026 Presidential Election:

Center for Strategic and International Studies

Podcast - “The Terrorist Threat to the 2026 World Cup”: Audio Brief with Daniel Byman and Riley McCabe:

Center for Strategic and International Studies

Podcast - Jorge Castañeda on the Frictions Straining U.S.-Mexico Ties:

Council of the Americas

Podcast - Cuba Faces a Humanitarian Crisis:

Zeihan on Geopolitics

Regional Highlight - Latin America Advisor:

Inter-American Dialogue

Regional Highlight - Friday Reading List - 29 May 2026:

LATAM Risk Report

China, Russia, and Iran - What Nicaragua Gains From Russia’s Embrace:

Americas Quarterly

China, Russia, and Iran - Parsing the Results of the Xi-Trump Summit:

China US Focus

China, Russia, and Iran - Hard Work Ahead for China, U.S.:

China US Focus

China, Russia, and Iran - How China’s Demand Is Fueling Illicit Sand Extraction in Latin America:

Dialogo Americas

China, Russia, and Iran - The Shadow of Russia and Iran in Venezuela:

Dialogo Americas

China, Russia, and Iran - Challenges When Collaborating with China on Space Research and Technology:

RAND

Crime - Ecuador Strengthens Strategy and Mobilizes Citizens Against Transnational Threat:

Dialogo Americas

Crime - Lessons from Maritime Interdictions: What Recent Cases Revealed About Illicit Shipping Networks:

Dialogo Americas

Cyber and AI - Artificial Intelligence for environmental crime enforcement:

Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime

Elections - Elections and Organized Crime:

InSight Crime

Elections - Security Proposals Presidential Candidates Colombia 2026:

Inter-American Dialogue

Elections - Weary of Insecurity, Colombia’s Voters Face a Choice Between ‘Total Peace’ and Total War:

World Politics Review

Foreign Policy and Engagement - What November’s U.S. Midterm Vote Means for the Americas:

Americas Quarterly

Foreign Policy and Engagement - The Politics and Repercussions of Washington’s Permanent Joint Board on Defense Pause:

Center for Strategic and International Studies

Foreign Policy and Engagement - The Terrorist Threat to the 2026 World Cup:

Center for Strategic and International Studies

Foreign Policy and Engagement - Building Trust in Uniform: Restoring Security and State Presence in Haiti:

Dialogo Americas

Foreign Policy and Engagement - USMCA Labor Commitments: Executive Report and 2026 Review Outlook:

Inter-American Dialogue

Political Governance - Bolivia’s Crisis Is About More Than Evo Morales:

Americas Quarterly

Politics and Governance - What Demands Are Fueling Ongoing Protests in Bolivia?:

Inter-American Dialogue

Podcast - The Mexico-U.S. Relationship’s Most Delicate Phase:

Americas Quarterly

Podcast - USMCA Review and Autos with Jennifer Safavian:

Center for Strategic and International Studies

Podcast - What Trump and Lula Want from U.S.–Brazil Ties:

Council of the Americas

Video - Cuba has acquired over 300 military drones:

FOX - featuring Dr. Brian Fonseca, FIU-JGI Director and FIU Vice Provost for Defense and National Security Research

Video - Expert who wrote about "Thucydides trap" reacts to Xi Jinping warning to Trump about U.S. and China:

Harvard Belfer Center

Video - Could US Military Action Against Cuba Look Like?:

Newsweek - featuring Dr. Brian Fonseca, FIU-JGI Director and FIU Vice Provost for Defense and National Security Research

Video - Inside the US strategy to indict Cuba's Raul Castro:

USA Today - featuring Randy Pestana, FIU-JGI Director of National Security Policy and Strategic Engagement

Regional Highlight - Venezuela’s Citgo and the Strategic Stakes for U.S. Policy:

Americas Quarterly - Authored by Dr. Brian Fonseca, Director of FIU's Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy

Regional Highlight - Vladimir Rouvinsky: Moscow promotes politicians "who can favour the Russian position":

Expediente Publico

Regional Highlight - Latin America Risk Report:

Inter-American Dialogue

Regional Highlight - Friday Reading List - 22 May 2026:

LATAM Risk Report

Cuba - Trump in Latin America: DOJ Unseals Castro Indictment as Pressure Builds on Havana:

Council of the Americas

Cuba - After the Castro indictment, what is Trump’s endgame in Cuba?:

Atlantic Council

Cuba - U.S.-Cuba Relations:

Council on Foreign Relations

Cuba - U.S. closes ranks against Raul Castro:

Expediente Publico

Cuba - Cuba: Malnutrition as a punishment for political prisoners:

Expediente Publico

China, Russia, and Iran - For U.S.-China Rivalry, Panama Needs a Real Plan:

Americas Quarterly

China, Russia, and Iran - Golden Dome is the missile defense the US needs:

Atlantic Council

China, Russia, and Iran - Why Are More U.S. Allies Exploring Ties with China?:

Council on Foreign Relations

China, Russia, and Iran - The Peru F-16 Sale: The Relationship Between Partner Politics, Extra-Hemispheric Adversaries, and US Defense Access:

Evan Ellis Substack

Crime - Coordinated Operations Reshape Ecuador’s Approach to Transnational Crime:

Dialogo Americas

Crime - Tracking the Shadow Fleet: How Maritime Enforcement Is Evolving in the Hemisphere:

Dialogo Americas

Crime - GLACSED: A New Regional Framework to Combat Organized Crime in Latin America and the Caribbean:

Dialogo Americas

Crime - New Map of Organized Crime in Brazil:

Dialogo Americas

Crime - On the Radar: Alex Saab’s Deportation, Colombian Elections, and Sinaloa Cartel Investigations:

InSight Crime

Crime - Venezuela Says It is Fighting Organized Crime. Is It?:

InSight Crime

Crime - Paraguay Jails Ex-Senator Over Ties to Drug Kingpin Marset:

Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project

Crime - Colombia Seizes Belgian Aristocrat’s Hotel Empire:

Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project

Crime - ‘It's Just Business’: Texts Reveal the Daily Work — and Drama — of an International Cocaine Syndicate:

Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project

Cyber, AI, and Space - Space Conference of the Americas: Space Challenges Know No Borders:

Dialogo Americas

Elections - Peru's 2026 Presidential Candidates: Keiko Fujimori and Roberto Sánchez:

Council of the Americas

Foreign Policy and Engagement - U.S., Latin American Leaders Examine Issues Shaping Hemisphere at Washington Conference:

Council of the Americas

Podcast - Unpacking Peru's First-Round Elections:

Center for Strategic and International Studies

Podcast - LatAm in Focus: What Trump and Lula Want from U.S.–Brazil Ties:

Council of the Americas

Podcast - El Jardinero Gets Trimmed by Mexican Authorities:

Zeihan on Geopolitics

Regional Highlight - Friday Reading List - 15 May 2026:

Latin America Risk Report

Regional Highlight - Latin America Advisor:

Inter-American Dialogue

China, Russia, and Iran - Trump in Latin America: The Hemisphere's Position on the U.S.–China Chessboard:

Council of the Americas

China, Russia, and Iran - The Promise and Peril of U.S.-China Summitry: What Xi Wants From Trump—and Trump Might Get From Xi:

Foreign Affairs

China, Russia, and Iran - China's Science and Technology Strategy in Perspective:

RAND

Crime - Biofuels’ Boom Meets Brazil’s Criminal Frontier:

Americas Quarterly

Crime - Efforts Grow to Counter China’s Expanding Distant-Water Fishing Fleet:

Dialogo Americas

Crime - From Isolation to Integration: Venezuela’s Emerging Role in Regional Counter-TCO Efforts:

Dialogo Americas

Crime - Gold from the Amazon: How Illegal Mining Fuels and Expands Organized Crime in the Guiana Shield:

Dialogo Americas

Crime - Guatemala Strengthens Border Security Through Expanded Operational Capabilities:

Dialogo Americas

Crime - What Spain’s Record Cocaine Bust Says About the Drug Trade:

InSight Crime

Crime - How AI Illuminated Tren de Aragua’s Money Laundering Methods:

InSight Crime

Crime - Meet the First Costa Ricans to Be Extradited on Drug Charges to the US:

InSight Crime

Economics and Trade - A Latin American Model for Dealing with Rising Gasoline Prices:

Americas Quarterly

Economics and Trade - The New Trade Order: Restoring Balance to a Broken Global Economy:

Foreign Affairs

Economics and Trade - How to Fight an Economic War: A Field Manual for a Ruptured World:

Foreign Affairs

Economics and Trade - State-Level Overview of U.S. Trade With Brazil:

Inter-American Dialogue

Economics and Trade - Why Gold Continues to Endure:

World Politics Review

Elections - Colombia's 2026 Presidential Candidates: Cepeda, De la Espriella, and Valencia:

Council of the Americas

Foreign Policy and Engagement - How Are Perceptions of the U.S.-Mexico Relationship Changing?:

Center for Strategic and International Studies

Foreign Policy and Engagement - Readiness Through Partnership: LAMAT 2026 Delivers Care in Saint Lucia:

Dialogo Americas

Politics and Governance - Why Are Milei’s Approval Ratings Falling in Argentina?:

Inter-American Dialogue

Podcast - Colombia’s High-Stakes Election:

Americas Quarterly

Regional Highlight - Latin American Advisor:

Inter-American Dialogue

Regional Highlight - Friday Reading List - 8 May 2026:

Latin American Risk Report

Regional Highlight - Irregular migration, a good business for organized crime:

Expediente Publico

Regional Highlight - New 'engines' of organized crime in Latin America:

Expediente Publico

Regional Highlight - China, Russia and Iran intervene in key sectors in Latin America:

Expediente Publico

Regional Highlight - China and Russia threaten Latin America's maritime sovereignty:

Expediente Publico

Regional Highlight - Latin America, the stage for competition between the great powers:

Expediente Publico

Regional Highlight - Political Transition in Cuba and Venezuela Discussed at Hemispheric Security Conference:

Exepdiente Publico

China, Russia, and Iran - The New Critical Minerals Map:

Foreign Policy

China, Russia, and Iran - China Is Transforming Brazil’s Car Market:

Foreign Policy

China, Russia, and Iran - China's Science and Technology Strategy in Perspective:

RAND

Crime - There is Nowhere to Hide: Joint Operation Tridente Chokes Off Narcoterrorism in the Eastern Pacific:

Dialogo Americas

Crime - How Organized Crime Is Reinventing Money Laundering in Latin America:

Dialogo Americas

Crime - Bolivia’s Role in South America’s Drug Networks Deepens as Trafficking Dynamics Evolve:

Dialogo Americas

Crime - How Influencers Launder Money for Criminal Groups:

InSight Crime

Cime - Mapping Out US Alleged Drug Boat Strikes:

InSight Crime

Crime - Ecuador Says Extortion Is Down. The Reality Is More Complicated.:

InSight Crime

Cyber and AI - Brazil’s Digital Governance Moment:

Inter-American Dialogue

Economics and Trade - Why Are Levels of Household Debt Escalating in Brazil?:

Inter-American Dialogue

Economics and Trade - 2026 Latin American and Caribbean Macroeconomic Report: Resilience and Growth Prospects in a Shifting Global Economy:

Inter-American Development Bank

Elections - In Colombia’s Election, Two Conservatives Fight to Face Cepeda:

Americas Quarterly

Elections - Peru’s Chaotic Election — and Some Reasons for Hope:

Americas Quarterly

Energy - Colombia’s Anti-Fossil Fuel Conference:

Foreign Policy

Foreign Policy and Engagement - Costa Rica’s paradox of political continuity:

Atlantic Council

Foreign Policy and Engagement - Coordinated Operations and Regional Cooperation Drive Mexico’s Security Gains:

Dialogo Americas

Foreign Policy and Engagement - Southern Vanguard 2026: Strengthening Regional Cooperation in the Amazon:

Dialogo Americas

Foreign Policy and Engagement - Nicaragua’s Democratic Crisis: Consolidation of Authoritarian Rule and the Future of U.S. Policy:

Inter-American Dialogue