On November 29, 2018 the Perry Center partnered with the John’s Hopkins School for Advanced International Studies (SAIS) to present a Hemispheric Forum addressing “Security Challenges in Latin America.” The event covered current topics relevant to the region, including: the Crisis in Venezuela, Central American insecurity, as well as Russian and Chinese political influence in Latin America. Perry Center Director, Lieutenant General (ret.) Frederick S. Rudesheim, USA, and Dr. Monica de Bolle, Director of the Latin American Studies Program & Emerging Markets Specialization at SAIS, welcomed panelists and guests to the forum.

Subject matter experts from the United States and Latin America analyzed current events from distinct perspectives and backgrounds, touching upon the refugee crisis on the Colombia-Venezuela border, the changing face of violence and its effects on migration in the Northern Triangle, and the consequences of growing Chinese and Russian investment in the region. Keynote speaker, Ambassador William Brownfield, Former Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL); Former US Ambassador to Colombia, Venezuela, and Chile, spoke of recent events affecting international security including the caravan of migrants originating from Honduras and El Salvador, the recent elections in Brazil, and the Venezuelan refugee crisis.

The event consisted of three panels, each concluding with a question-and-answer session, taking queries from students, guests, and fellow panelists.

Panel I – Crisis in Venezuela: Gauging the Fallout, Future Threats, and Policy Options for the International Community

• Dr. Moisés Naím, Distinguished Fellow, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
• Ambassador Juan Carlos Pinzón, Former Minister of Defense and Ambassador of Colombia to the United States
• Dr. Fabiana Perera, Assistant Research Fellow, William J. Perry Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies
• Mr. David Smolansky, Chairman, Working Group on Venezuelan Migration, Organization of American States
• Moderator: Dr. Cynthia Arnson, Director, Latin American Program, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars

Panel II – Central American Insecurity: Assessing Violence, Corruption, and Migration

• Ambassador James Nealon, Former US Ambassador to Honduras, Assistant Secretary of International Affairs, Department of Homeland Security
• Mr. Steven Dudley, Co-Founder and Co-Director, Insight Crime; Senior Fellow, American University
• Ms. Celina Realuyo, Professor of Practice, William J. Perry Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies
• Mr. Eric Olson, Consultant, Latin American Program, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
• Moderator: Dr. Francisco E. González, Associate Professor of International Political Economy and Latin American Politics, Johns Hopkins SAIS

Panel III – Evaluating Russian and Chinese Political Influence in Latin America

• Mr. Douglas Farah, President, IBI Consultants; Senior Visiting Fellow, Center for Complex Operations, National Defense University
• Ms. Margaret Myers, Director, Asia and Latin America Program, Inter-American Dialogue
• Dr. Stephen Kaplan, Global Fellow, Latin American Program, Woodrow Wilson Center; Associate Professor Political Science and International Affairs, George Washington University
• Ms. Julia Gurganus, Visiting Scholar, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace; Former National Intelligence Officer for Russia and Eurasia, US National Intelligence Council
• Moderator: LTC Albert “Jim” Marckwardt, USA, Colombia Country Officer, Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Western Hemisphere Affairs