Rebuilding Haiti: Pathways Out of Crisis: This webinar explores Haiti's complex challenges and potential solutions for the nation's recovery. Expert panelists examine the root causes of Haiti's ongoing crisis, including political instability, economic struggles, and security concerns. Discussion topics include the impact of gang violence, the collapse of democratic institutions, and the humanitarian crisis that has left millions food insecure. Panelists share perspectives about international efforts to support Haiti, the role of the Haitian diaspora, and approaches to rebuilding the country's infrastructure and economy.
The panel features Dr. Arturo Sotomayor, Professor, William J. Perry Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies; Dr. John Manza, Executive Director, Haiti Interagency Working Group; Websder Corneille, Haitian Linguist/Adjunct Lecturer, CLACS-Indiana University Bloomington; and Johanna Leblanc, J.D., LL.M., Partner of the Adomi Group/Adjunct Professor at Howard University.
This article examines the threats and challenges of cybersecurity in Latin America and the Caribbean to include the protection of critical infrastructure in cyberspace and the implications for daily human interaction and survival. The article objective is to analyze politically and strategically critical infrastructures in Latin America and the Caribbean in light of generative AI, Meta Data Analytics and machine learning (ML). The report provides an analysis at a political and strategic level of the current technological environment characterized by the aforementioned accelerated exponential and convergent processes which have generated disruptive innovations. All this set of facts impacts humanity in general and critical infrastructures, a fundamental factor for life on the planet.
Dr. Paterson’s article shares the results of the William J. Perry Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies threats survey conducted in late 2022. The survey generated almost 650 responses from Perry Center graduates who selected from 35 threats in the Americas. The results illuminate how leading Latin American and Caribbean scholars – particularly those who work in the security and defense field – see the conditions in the Americas and can help inform policy makers and scholars who follow events in the Americas.
Dr. Patrick Paterson, Associate Dean for Research and Publications at the WJPC, has published a fascinating almanac that compiles the most historically significant events in Latin America and the Caribbean from 1800-2020, containing vignettes of more than 700 events organized per month and specific calendar day. It focuses on major political and security incidents starting from the period of independence—including armed conflicts, famous battles, births and deaths of important figures, military coups, significant presidential elections, and independence dates.
Also included are detailed appendices addressing important economic, political, and social conditions, as well as an index with over 2,000 keywords.
Paterson, Patrick. The Almanac of Latin American History, Political and Security Events from 1800 to the Present, Rowman & Littlefield, 2024.
Only available commercially
Food insecurity is an urgent problem in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), and the LAC region’s susceptibility to food insecurity is poised to worsen with the accelerating effects of climate change. Food insecurity is not in itself a phenomenon that necessitates a military response. Indeed, food insecurity is “not” a traditional security threat to territorial borders and national sovereignty. Rather, it should be seen as an amplifier of political, economic, social, and ecological strain and vulnerabilities that can be exploited by malign actors and, thus, contributing to heightened security concerns. In this view, investments in food security should be considered as necessary, proactive, and preventative security measures, in support of civilian government agencies and the private and nonprofit sectors. Through a limited role focused on humanitarian assistance, disaster response, and interagency and international collaboration, the United States can leverage the capacities and resources of the DOD to support its regional partners in combating food insecurity. Anything less would risk losing a strategic, humanitarian, and moral imperative.
The interference of external antagonistic groups can destabilize and weaken States, while their operational networks are strengthened. Several factors facilitate the interference of actors such as China, Russia and Iran in Latin America. Facing these risks, some countries in the region, security institutions, and national and international organizations are collaborating to fight this external antagonism. Karina Perez’s paper proposes the idea of combating these threats by inhibiting the influence of external actors, analyzing the key factors that have favored their influence in Latin America, and how their presence has been linked to various transnational threats.
