35 West

Latin American and Caribbean countries face mounting risks from natural disasters, with the region ranking as one of the most climate vulnerable areas in the world. With climate change likely to exacerbate these challenges, developing effective strategies for delivering Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR), is of critical importance in the Western Hemisphere.

In this episode, Ryan C. Berg sits down with CDR (ret.) Pat Paterson, Professor of Practice at National Defense University’s William J. Perry Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies. Together they discuss a recent report from the Perry Center on improving U.S. humanitarian aid efforts. They delve into current approaches, areas for increased cooperation, as well as the still small but growing footprint of China's HADR efforts in the western hemisphere.

On April 3, 2023, the Maduro regime denounced the statement by International Criminal Court Prosecutor Karim Khan that the ICC would continue to press its investigation into human rights abuses perpetrated by the Venezuelan security forces. This marks the latest bout in a series of exchanges between the regime and the court, as Maduro seeks to undermine the investigation by pretending to address the question of impunity with occasional trials.

In this "Best of 35 West" episode, Ryan C. Berg sits down with José Ignacio Hernández, the former Special Prosecutor of the Interim Government of Venezuela, and a visiting fellow at Harvard University’s Center for International Development. Together, they discuss the likely outcomes of the investigation and progress made so far. They also highlight the importance of international criminal investigations for advancing the conversation around human rights and democracy within Venezuela.

The Northern Triangle countries of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras have long faced challenges from gangs which have become entrenched criminal networks. In response, governments throughout the region have periodically adopted hardline, or mano dura, security policies to clamp down on gangs. Most recently, El Salvador has seen one of the most extreme versions of such a policy under President Nayib Bukele, using a state of emergency to curtail constitutional protections, jailing upwards of sixty thousand alleged gang members, and serving as a backdrop for his consolidation of power and attacks on civil society and the press.

In this episode, Christopher Hernandez-Roy sits down with Steven Dudley, Co-Director of InSight Crime and author of the award-winning book MS-13: The Making of America’s Most Notorious Gang. Together, they unpack the nature of El Salvador's state of exception, what differentiates it from past hardline policies, and the threat this "Plan Bukele" poses to El Salvador and to democracies throughout the region. They also delve into the impact of both gang violence and counter-gang repression on Salvadoran citizens, and what can be done to promote lasting security in Central America.

More than one year after Russia's brutal invasion of Ukraine, Latin America and the Caribbean has been impacted in a number of ways. Demand for oil has prompted the United States to pursue an opening to Venezuela, empowering the authoritarian Maduro regime even as Washington denounces extra-hemispheric dictators. Meanwhile, disruptions to energy and fertilizer supplies more broadly have stalled economic recovery in a region already struggling to bounce back from the Covid-19 pandemic. 

In this episode, Ryan C. Berg and Christopher Hernandez-Roy sit down to unpack a recent CSIS Americas commentary on Latin America's response to the war in Ukraine and reflect on developments in the hemisphere at about the one-year mark of the conflict. Together, they outline the economic, political, and diplomatic pressures the conflict has placed on governments throughout the region. They also delve into the tendency of many countries to hedge against offering support to Ukraine and the troubling implications this holds as the war enters into its second year.

Semiconductors, materials used to control the flow of electricity through a circuit in precise patterns, are the lifeblood of the modern digital economy. However, the global semiconductor industry remains highly concentrated, signaling a clear need to develop supply chain resiliency in the semiconductor industry. This trend in turn carries significant potential for Latin American countries, which could see their burgeoning chip manufacturing and research industries catalyzed by new investments.

In this episode, Ryan C. Berg sits down with Jackie Sturm, Corporate Vice President for Global Supply Chain Operations at Intel Corporation. Together, they discuss rebalancing semiconductor supply chains, and opportunities for the Western Hemisphere, especially in countries like Mexico, Costa Rica, and Brazil. They also highlight the importance of U.S. policy, notably the CHIPS Act, and the work Intel is doing to engage throughout the hemisphere to support resilient supply chains for this critical industry.

With a rich network of volcanoes on the Ring of Fire, Latin America is uniquely positioned to benefit from developing geothermal energy within their countries. However, because geothermal energy is not found at the surface level of the earth, exploration costs, which translate to market price, are very high, and at the moment limit the potential for Latin America to draw out its full geothermal potential.

In this episode, Ryan C. Berg sits down with Ximena Guardia Muguruza, an Environmental Engineer and expert on geothermal energy currently studying at the University of Rekjavik. Together, they discuss the landscape of geothermal energy projects in Latin America, with a close focus on Peru, where the industry remains in its very early stages. They also unpack the key benefits offered by geothermal power sources, and outline what determinants of success will look like for tapping the full potential of geothermal in Peru, and throughout the hemisphere.

En este episodio especial en español Ryan C. Berg se sienta a conversar con Valeria Moy, directora general del Instituto Mexicano para la Competitividad, uno de los centros de investigación más reconocido en México.

Ellos conversaron sobre el estado del sector digital en México y los desafíos para el acceso seguro y fiable a Internet para todos. Aunque México tiene potencial significante en el espacio digital, el sector de las tecnologías de la información y la comunicación (TIC) sufre de prácticas anticompetitivas. Además la conversación se centró del estado más amplio de las relaciones económicas entre México y Estados Unidos, incluso el T-MEC y Diálogo Económico de Alto Nivel.

In this special Spanish-Language episode, Ryan C. Berg sits down with Valeria Moy, Director General of the Mexican Institute for Competitiveness, one of the most well-known think tanks in Mexico.

They discussed the state of the digital sector in Mexico and the challenges to secure, reliable access to internet for all. While Mexico has great potential in the digital space, its Information Communications Technology (ICT) sector is held back by anticompetitive practices. The conversation also focused on broader developments in the U.S.-Mexico economic relationship, including the USMCA and High-Level Economic Dialogue.  

In recent years, hydrogen has risen as an important prospect in the energy transition. Latin America is looking closely at the hydrogen industry, and governments in countries such as Chile, Colombia, Brazil, and Paraguay are betting on green hydrogen production; that is, hydrogen that is produced with renewable resources, such as wind and solar, as opposed to coal, natural gas, or other non-renewables.

In this episode, Ryan C. Berg sits down with Sunita Satyapal, Director of the U.S. Department of Energy's Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office within the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Together, they unpack the uses and role of hydrogen, the state of play in the Western Hemisphere, and some of the actions the United States is taking to promote further hydrogen development. They also underscore the importance of partnerships across the public and private sectors to cultivate expertise and accelerate hydrogen technology adoption.

The Western Hemisphere has been rocked by a series of regional and global shocks, from supply chain disruptions, to growing food insecurity, to political polarization and ongoing environmental shifts. In the face of these disruptions, private enterprise and the business community play an important role, maintaining livelihoods, supporting innovative technologies, and advocating for sustainable development.

In this episode, Ryan C. Berg sits down with Ambassador Juan Carlos Pinzón, a Visiting Diplomatic Fellow with the CSIS Americas program, and former two-time Ambassador of Colombia to the United States. Together, they discuss the importance of the private sector for Latin America's post-pandemic recovery and economic future. They also dig into rising political polarization and democratic backsliding in the region, and how the private sector can respond to these challenges.

Journalists throughout the region must not only navigate rising disinformation, misinformation, and political polarization, but also threats to their own physical safety as the hemisphere continues to rank as one of the deadliest regions for journalist protections. To fortify the free and independent press throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, the Organization of American States recently announced the establishment of the Center for Media Integrity of the Americas, a hub for best practices and support for journalists throughout the region.

In this episode, Ryan C. Berg sits down with Ambassador John Feeley, former U.S. Ambassador to Panama and the inaugural Executive Director of the Center for Media Integrity of the Americas. Together, they discuss the Center's emergent role and efforts to uplift journalistic integrity amid a shifting media landscape. They also discuss the persistence of threats to journalists' safety, and the increased role of social media in shaping informational environments.