35 West

The character and temperament of a leader can have a major impact on both the quality of governance, as well as the health and stability of democratic systems. But how exactly this manifests, as well as what the risk factors are for determining whether an elected leader might attempt a power grab while in office remain opaque, complicating the ability of voters and analysts alike to make actionable assessments of presidential personalities. In this episode, Christopher Hernandez-Roy sits down with Ignacio Arana Araya, an assistant professor at Carnegie Mellon University and author of the book Presidential Personalities and Constitutional Power Grabs in Latin America, 1945-2021. Together, they discuss common trends in presidential power grabs, risk factors, and how institutions can guard against these. They also analyze contemporary dynamics in Latin America, including moves by El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele to extend his tenure in office.

It has been nearly three months since Operation Absolute Resolve and so much has happened in Venezuela. Under pressure from the United States, the country’s interim authorities, led by Delcy Rodriguez, have pushed through a raft of legislation, such as a reform to the hydrocarbons law, an amnesty law, and they are now working on a reform to the country’s mining laws. The United States still controls the international marketing and sale of Venezuela’s oil, supervising the spending of the country’s revenues. Several cabinet-level officials from the United States have visited Caracas, and some oil and gas companies are signing deals. Both sides have stated their intention to reestablish relations, and the United States has reopened its embassy in Caracas. In this episode, Ryan C. Berg sits down with Rafael de la Cruz, Director of the Office of María Corina Machado and Edmundo González Urrutia in the United States. Together, they discuss political developments within Venezuela and the opposition's strategy for continuing to push forward a democratic transition. They also explore the country's first steps towards recovery and what steps are necessary to rebuild the Venezuelan economy.

This episode of 35 West originally aired on February 23, 2024. As the war in Ukraine passes four years of high-intensity fighting, Latin American foreign fighters are playing an increasingly key role. Recent estimates suggest that as many as 7,000 Colombians are fighting on behalf of Ukraine, while thousands of Cubans are present in Russia's ranks. Within this context, CSIS is re-releasing this special episode of 35 West. In this Best of 35 West episode, Christopher Hernandez-Roy, sat down with Elizabeth M.F. Grasmeder, Adjunct Professor of National Security Policy with Duke University, and Andrei Serbin Pont, Executive Director of CRIES-LAC, for a conversation on X (formerly Twitter) about the role of foreign fighters from LAC on both sides in Ukraine. Together, they unpacked the motivations of fighters for joining both Ukraine and Russia, why Moscow and Kyiv have turned to recruiting foreign fighters, and the broader implications of war in Ukraine for Latin American countries.

Mexico has experienced record levels of foreign direct investment in recent years, as the drive for supply chain security has created a boom in interest in Mexico’s manufacturing sector. Yet, when measured overall, investment is down in Mexico. Two issues stand out as driving investment decline: uncertainty around fiscal governance and tax regulation enforcement. In this episode, Ryan C. Berg sits down with Denise Dresser, Senior Associate with the Americas Program at CSIS and professor of political science at the Autonomous Technological Institute of Mexico (ITAM). Together they discuss how changes to Mexico's regulatory, and particularly tax environment are undermining investor confidence and contributing to broader concerns related to the upcoming 2026 Joint Review of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada free trade agreement. They also explore the ways in which tax policy intersects with the issues Mexico faces over judicial independence, insecurity, and diplomatic tensions with both the United States and Canada.

In December 1989, the U.S. military intervened in Panama to depose dictator Manuel Noriega. Known as Operation Just Cause, the U.S. invasion of Panama has resurfaced in public discourse as observers draw parallels between it and the large build-up of U.S. forces off the coast of Venezuela. In this episode, Christopher Hernandez-Roy sits down with Ambassador Luigi Einaudi, U.S. Ambassador to the OAS from 1989 to 1993 and later former Assistant Secretary General of the Organization of American States. Together they unpack both the similarities and distinctions between Panama and Venezuela . They also assess the challenges inherent in any democratic transition and lessons learned from Panama's history. The episode was recorded on December 22, 2025, two weeks before Operation Absolute Resolve to capture Venezuelan Disctator Nicolas Maduro, yet it still contains valuable insights into what may happen next in Venezuela.

On October 19, Senator Rodrigo Paz Pereira won the presidency in Bolivia, bringing an end to the rule of the Movimiento al Socialismo, or MAS party which had long dominated the country's politics. While the MAS defeat captured headlines, President-elect Pereira faces a difficult path ahead, facing major economic as well as security challenges. In this episode, Christopher Hernandez-Roy sits down with Eduardo Gamarra, Professor of Politics and International Relations at Florida International University. Together, they discuss Pereira's path to the presidency, the economic state of Bolivia, and the evolution of the country's challenges with organized crime and narcotrafficking. They also analyze the future of Bolivia-U.S. relations which have shown signs of warming under the new government.

Canada and Mexico are not only the United States’ top trading partners – they are also indispensable players in North American supply chains, but have historically, approached Washington separately, preferring bilateral negotiations. Yet, as trade tensions rise with the Trump Administration’s tariffs intended to reshore manufacturing to the United States, raising questions about competitiveness, supply chains and the resilience of trilateral relations in the region, both Canada and Mexico appear to be discovering common ground, reshaping political calculations and opening new avenues for cooperation. In this episode, Christopher Hernandez-Roy sits down with Graeme Clark, former Canadian Ambassador to Mexico, Peru, Bolivia and the OAS. Together, they discuss the history of Canada-Mexico relations, the tensions that have put the relationship under pressure, and windows for potential collaboration.

For decades, educational exchanges have served as a cornerstone of U.S. soft power, aimed at promoting goodwill, cross-cultural understanding, and enduring regional partnerships with Latin America and the Caribbean. Each year, more than 80,000 students from the region pursue studies in the United States and more than 30,000 Americans study abroad in the region. In this episode, Juliana Rubio sits down with Gerardo Blanco, associate professor of Higher Education and Academic Director of the Center for International Higher Education at Boston College. Together, they discuss the benefits of educational exchange for the United States and Latin American countries, including the relevance of these exchanges for soft power and diplomatic competition. They also explore how recent tensions around immigration have spilled over into the educational realm, and how the United States, alongside its regional partners, can move forward in this environment.

Since its founding in 1948, the Organization of American States (OAS) has served as the premier forum for advancing regional priorities facing the Western Hemisphere, becoming the oldest and only multilateral institution that provides a platform for dialogue and cooperation to all countries in the hemisphere. On March 10 of this year, the OAS member states elected Albert Ramdin, Suriname’s former Foreign Minister, as the organization’s new Secretary General, becoming the first Caribbean representative to head the organization in its history. In this episode, Christopher Hernandez-Roy sits down with His Excellency Albert R. Ramdin, Secretary General of the OAS. Together they discuss the challenges and opportunities facing the OAS today, the Secretary General's vision for leadership, and plans for the organization. They also delve into the role of the OAS in Haiti, and how the organization can play a role in helping to stabilize the country's compounding crises.

This episode of 35 West originally aired on October 17, 2024. Since the blatant electoral fraud that took place on July 28, the Maduro regime in Venezuela has sought to repress its way out of mass protests demanding political change. The regime’s heavy-handed crackdown comes at a time when the International Criminal Court has already been investigating Venezuela for alleged crimes against humanity. As the regime seeks to silence dissent and close the civic space, this pending case may represent one of the few remaining levers the international community can apply to instill restraint, but only if such an approach is carefully considered. In this episode, Christopher Hernandez-Roy sits down with Santiago Canton, Secretary General of the International Commission of Jurists and a member of the Panel of Independent International Experts on the Possible Commission of Crimes against Humanity in Venezuela of the Organization of American States. Together, they discuss the state of the ICC's investigation and how it is likely to develop in light of the abuses the regime has committed in the past three months. They also delve into the debate around whether the ICC case represents an impediment to political change, or if it remains a useful means of applying pressure on the regime.

In the past month or so, President Nayib Bukele’s government has sharply intensified its repression of civil society and independent voices in El Salvador. Journalists have been forced into exile, civil society organizations are being weakened by a new Foreign Agents Law, and former officials, activists, and NGO workers are being jailed on dubious charges. These developments mark a new phase in Bukele’s crackdown—one that relies not only on emergency powers but increasingly on legal and financial tools to silence dissent. In this episode, Juliana Rubio sits down with Leonor Arteaga Rubio, Program Director at the Due Process of Law Foundation. Together, they discuss what recent arrests and crackdowns in El Salvador mean for the remaining checks on government power. They also explore how civil society has adapted in order to continue raising alarms about corruption and abuse of power.

With the Indo-Pacific an increasingly volatile region, successive U.S. administrations have sought to shift semiconductor manufacturing back to the Western Hemisphere in general and United States in particular. However, a push to shift the balance of semiconductor production away from Asia also creates opportunities for Mexico, which could be well-positioned to complement the United States’ industrial policy as well as grow its own microelectronics industry. In this episode, Ryan C. Berg sits down with Jesús Silva Elizalde, Associate Director of ITSI Program Operations at Arizona State University and a Research Fellow with the U.S.-Mexico Foundation. Together, they discuss the state of U.S.-Mexico semiconductor cooperation, and Mexico's strategy to further develop its chips industry. They also unpack the ways in which tensions between the two countries risk undermining the potential for increased semiconductor supply chain security, and what the Sheinbaum and Trump administrations can do moving forward.

President Trump’s return to the White House has brought a radical shift in U.S.-Mexico ties, reshaping relations between the two neighbors. Within his first 100 days in office, the U.S. President declared a “national emergency” at the southern border, directed U.S. troops to help seal it, designated several Mexican drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, and threatened to impose tariffs on Mexican imports unless tougher action is taken to curb the flow of fentanyl and migrants. While Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has so far proven capable of navigating President Trump’s hardline negotiation style, the road ahead for U.S-Mexico security cooperation remains uncertain. In this episode, Ryan C. Berg sits down with Cecilia Farfán-Méndez, Head of the North American Observatory at the Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime. Together, they discuss the security challenges faced by Mexico, as well as the stresses and opportunities presented by the second Trump administration for U.S.-Mexico cooperation. They also delve into the differences in President Sheinbaum's security policy and where there may be signs of a shifting approach from her predecessor.