Home News
 
  • China’s Growing Strategic Position in Nicaragua – R. Evan Ellis in The Diplomat https://thediplomat.com/2023/12/chinas-growing-strategic-position-in-nicaragua/
    China’s Growing Strategic Position in Nicaragua

    By R. Evan Ellis

    R. Evan Ellis | The October 2023 announcement of multiple major infrastructure projects to be performed by Chinese companies in Nicaragua highlights China’s deepening strategic position in that country, with significant implications for the United States and the region. Nicaragua’s December 2021 recognition of China and its corresponding

    Read More
  • The Monroe Doctrine, Then and Now - Evan Ellis - The Dispatch Background image from article: https://thedispatch.com/article/the-monroe-doctrine-then-and-now/
    The Monroe Doctrine, Then and Now

    By R. Evan Ellis

    R. Evan Ellis | In November 2013, then-Secretary of State John Kerry declared, to thunderous applause, that “the era of the Monroe Doctrine is over.” Flash forward to 2019 and John Bolton, the national security adviser at the time, proclaimed that the Monroe Doctrine was alive and well. Within six years, high-level administration officials had

    Read More
  • By R. Evan Ellis In the context of unfolding global conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine and the dangers of an increasingly aggressive yet economically fragile People’s Republic of China (PRC), Venezuela’s provocative referendum on its claim to two thirds of the territory of neighboring Guyana has received understandably little attention in Washington, D.C. Original background image from article: https://theglobalamericans.org/2023/11/would-venezuela-really-invade-essequibo/
    Would Venezuela Really Invade Essequibo?

    By R. Evan Ellis

    R. Evan Ellis | In the context of unfolding global conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine and the dangers of an increasingly aggressive yet economically fragile People’s Republic of China (PRC), Venezuela’s provocative referendum on its claim to two thirds of the territory of neighboring Guyana has received understandably little attention in

    Read More
  • The resource rich, land-locked South American nation of Bolivia has traditionally received limited attention from Washington. The country, historically mired in poverty, corruption, and cycles of political conflict is one of the hemisphere’s major sources for coca and illegally mined gold, as well as a transit country for both. Bolivia’s leftist populist Movement for Socialism (MAS) governments of Evo Morales and Luis Arce have made the country an important point of entry into the hemisphere for extra-hemispheric U.S. rivals including the People’s Republic of China, Russia, and Iran. In recent weeks, a power struggle has emerged for control of the MAS between current President Luis Arce and former President Evo Morales. This has implications for the stability of the country as it plays out in the context of crosscutting political rivalries, economic difficulties, and a significant criminal economy with competing interests. This work examines the deteriorating situation in Bolivia and the potential implications for the region. Image adapted from: https://theglobalamericans.org/2023/11/bolivias-descent-into-deep-chaos-and-the-implications-for-the-region/
    Bolivia’s Descent into Deep Chaos and the Implications for the Region

    By R. Evan Ellis

    R. Evan Ellis | The resource rich, land-locked South American nation of Bolivia has traditionally received limited attention from Washington. The country, historically mired in poverty, corruption, and cycles of political conflict is one of the hemisphere’s major sources for coca and illegally mined gold, as well as a transit country for both.

    Read More
  • Iran’ Re-engagement with Latin America by R. Evan Ellis https://revistas.ceeep.mil.pe/index.php/seguridad-y-poder-terrestre/article/view/43/81
    Iran’s Re-engagement with Latin America

    By R. Evan Ellis

    R. Evan Ellis | The article presents the resumption of Iran’s relations with Latin America and the opportunities this offers for political and economic interaction. It highlights Iran’s acceptance into the BRICS during the organization’s summit in Johannesburg in 2023, which accelerated the reestablishment of Iran’s contacts with the international

    Read More
  • Comparing China’s Engagement in Africa and Latin America R. Evan Ellis There are substantial commonalities in Beijing’s engagement between the two regions, but also differences that provide insights into how China-based entities make, and adapt, policies. https://thediplomat.com/2023/10/comparing-chinas-engagement-in-africa-and-latin-america/ Image credits: Chinese flag from Pexels.com, world map overlay from FreePik.com
    Comparing China’s Engagement in Africa and Latin America

    By R. Evan Ellis

    R. Evan Ellis | There are substantial commonalities in Beijing’s engagement between the two regions, but also differences that provide insights into how China-based entities make, and adapt, policies. On October 12-13, 2023, the Jack D. Gordon Institute of Florida International University (FIU) hosted an event bringing together Africa and Latin

    Read More
  • Security Challenges Facing the Dominican Republic and the Government Response R. Evan Ellis ntroduction From September 24-28, 2023, a trip was made to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, to present a paper on crime and violence in the Caribbean at a forum organized by Funglode,[2] one of the country’s leading think tanks. As part of this visit, he held a dialogue with a wide range of former and current security personnel and other experts on the security challenges facing the nation. The Dominican Republic’s economy, closely linked to that of the United States (U.S.) through geography, family ties and the Central America-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR),[3] is one of the fastest growing in the region.[4] Despite the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic,[5] tourism has recovered remarkably. The country has a vibrant democratic political culture and, unlike many of its Caribbean and Central American neighbors with whom it shares close linguistic and cultural ties, has managed to maintain significantly lower levels of violence and gang activity. (https://ceeep.mil.pe/2023/10/18/retos-de-seguridad-a-los-que-se-enfrenta-la-republica-dominicana-y-la-respuesta-del-gobierno/?lang=en) Background image credit: CEEP
    Security Challenges Facing the Dominican Republic and the Government Response

    By R. Evan Ellis

    R. Evan Ellis | From September 24-28, 2023, a trip was made to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, to present a paper on crime and violence in the Caribbean at a forum organized by Funglode,[2] one of the country’s leading think tanks. As part of this visit, he held a dialogue with a wide range of former and current security personnel and other

    Read More
  • Evan Ellis - Implications of the Hamas Terror Attacks and the Israeli Response on Latin America and the Global Strategic Environment (for IndraStra at https://www.indrastra.com/2023/10/implications-of-hamas-terror-attacks.html)
    Implications of the Hamas Terror Attacks and the Israeli Response on Latin America and the Global Strategic Environment 

    By R. Evan Ellis

    R. Evan Ellis | My heart goes out to the almost 1,000 Israelis brutally slaughtered by Hamas on October 7, 2023, terrorist attacks this week. Few not actually living this moment in Israel, and certainly not me, can truly understand the grief and outrage that Hamas’ acts of depravity have sparked among Israelis. A nation forged from history’s most

    Read More
  • PRC Engagement with Central America – An Update (on CEEP)
    PRC Engagement with Central America – An Update (on CEEP)

    By R. Evan Ellis

    R. Evan Ellis Central America has become a strategic area for China’s activities both because of its proximity to the United States and because of the economic, commercial and logistical momentum developed in recent years. Likewise, this region is important to expand Chinese geopolitical influence on the case of Taiwan, due to the interest of

    Read More
  • Challenges and Threats to Security in Latin America (ceeep.mil.pe)
    Challenges and Threats to Security in Latin America (ceeep.mil.pe)

    By R. Evan Ellis

    Latin America faces a complex economic, social and political context with strong implications for the radicalization of society, the erosion of institutions, and the reduction of economic prospects, undermining its commitment to democracy and the rule of law. Although this phenomenon is not exclusive to Latin America, it seems that this region is experiencing the beginning of a chain of events that could negatively impact the countries that integrate it.

    Read More
  • A Preliminary Look from Washington at Colombia’s New Direction and Security Challenges (Gustavo Petro Familia)
    A Preliminary Look from Washington at Colombia’s New Direction and Security Challenges

    By R. Evan Ellis

    Dr. R. Evan Ellis, October 2022This work examines the likely direction of the Gustavo Petro administration in Colombia in the arena of economic, security and foreign policy, and associated challenges. Its analysis is based on key personnel appointments, statements, and initial policy actions. It argues that the administration will likely have the

    Read More
1
2
3