Americas | Council on Foreign Relations

Brazil

South America’s Minimum Consensus on Democracy is Gone

Forget regional integration. Basic diplomacy will remain an uphill battle until the region’s leaders return to a shared definition of democracy.

Blog Post by Will Freeman May 31, 2023 Latin America’s Moment
Human Trafficking

Guadalupe Correa-Cabrera: Asylum Seekers and Migrants in the Western Hemisphere Face Real Threats from Human Trafficking

A lack of legal protections and supportive services coupled with pervasive corruption makes this population particularly vulnerable. Women and girls are especially at risk.

Blog Post by Ann Norris May 31, 2023 Women and Foreign Policy Program
China

U.S. Influence in Southeast Asia Falling off a Cliff

Despite Beijing's often aggressive military and diplomatic approach, Southeast Asian nations are increasingly siding with China over the United States.

Blog Post by Joshua Kurlantzick May 30, 2023 Asia Unbound

Latin America

Latin America This Week: May 30, 2023

Debt-for-nature swaps gain traction in Latin America; To fix U.S. migration woes, the government needs to go big; Venezuelan organized crime now stretches across the continent.

Blog Post by Will Freeman and Shannon K. O'Neil May 30, 2023 Latin America’s Moment
Drug Policy

The Fentanyl Epidemic, With Vanda Felbab-Brown

Vanda Felbab-Brown, a senior fellow in the Strobe Talbott Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology in the Foreign Policy program at the Brookings Institution, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss why the United States is struggling to stop the flood of fentanyl entering the country.

Podcast with James M. Lindsay and Vanda Felbab-Brown May 30, 2023 The President’s Inbox
United States

What Does the U.S. National Guard Do?

The National Guard is a special part of the U.S. military that answers to both state governors and the president. While it began as a “strategic reserve,” the guard has grown into a pivotal partner in military operations.

Backgrounder by Anshu Siripurapu and Noah Berman May 26, 2023

United States

Remembering Those Whom Memorial Day Honors

The stories of five Americans who were awarded the Medal of Honor for making the ultimate sacrifice.

Blog Post by James M. Lindsay May 26, 2023 The Water's Edge
United States

What Happens When the U.S. Hits Its Debt Ceiling?

As the U.S. government grapples with another deadline to increase its debt ceiling in 2023, economists warn that a possible default could have disastrous economic consequences.

Backgrounder by Noah Berman May 25, 2023 Renewing America
United States

Kissinger at One Hundred: The CFR Connection

Henry Kissinger, marking his one hundredth birthday, and the Council on Foreign Relations have had a long and substantive affiliation, one that spans the career of the preeminent scholar-practitioner of diplomacy in the modern era.

Article by Richard Haass May 25, 2023
United States

How to Secure Critical Minerals for Clean Energy Without Alienating China

There are multiple ways to bolster the security of U.S. critical mineral supply chains, such as the mining, processing, and application of minerals, among others. Pushing China to be a disruptor is not one of them.

Blog Post by Zongyuan Zoe Liu May 25, 2023 Renewing America
Diamonstein-Spielvogel Project on the Future of Democracy

School Shootings Are a National Security Threat

In the year since a gunman butchered nineteen students and two teachers at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, the United States has suffered at least forty school shootings—perhaps most notably…

Article by Jacob Ware May 24, 2023 Diamonstein-Spielvogel Project on the Future of Democracy
United States

Kenneth A. Moskow Memorial Lecture: A Conversation With Liz Sherwood-Randall

White House Homeland Security Advisor Liz Sherwood-Randall discusses how the Biden Administration prepares for and responds to a broad range of threats to the Homeland. The Kenneth A. Moskow Memorial Lecture on Homeland Security and Counterterrorism honors the memory of longtime Council member Kenneth A. Moskow, who made this event possible through a generous bequest. His intent was to establish an annual event to bring together the leaders of the intelligence community and promote discussion on critical issues in counterterrorism.

Virtual Event by Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall May 24, 2023 Kenneth A. Moskow Memorial Lecture
United States

Robert B. McKeon Endowed Series on Military Strategy and Leadership

The U.S. military service chiefs discuss U.S. defense priorities around the world and the state of the American armed forces. The Robert B. McKeon Endowed Series on Military Strategy and Leadership features prominent individuals from the military and intelligence communities.

Virtual Event by David H. Berger, James C. McConville, Michael M. Gilday, CQ Brown Jr., B. Chance Saltzman and Linda Fagan May 22, 2023 Robert B. McKeon Endowed Series on Military Strategy and Leadership
China

Latin America This Week: May 22, 2023

Opposition, not ideology, wins elections; Chinese foreign direct investment moves beyond natural resources and Brazil; Livent-Allkem merger bets on lithium in the Americas.

Blog Post by Will Freeman and Shannon K. O'Neil May 22, 2023 Latin America’s Moment
Turkey

Women This Week: Women Win Historic Number of Seats in Turkish Parliament

Welcome to “Women Around the World: This Week,” a series that highlights noteworthy news related to women and U.S. foreign policy. This week’s post covers May 13 to May 19.

Blog Post by Noël James May 19, 2023 Women Around the World