Latin America Commentary & Analysis

Note to Trump: McKinley’s legacy is about more than tariffs and territory

By Daniel Fried

President William McKinley’s foreign policy was more complex than his reputation for high tariffs and imperial acquisitions would suggest.

Mexico’s new electricity law could boost the country’s energy sector. But big questions remain.

By David L. Goldwyn and César Emiliano Hernández Ochoa

President Claudia Sheinbaum is taking a practical, technocratic approach to Mexico’s longstanding underinvestment in electricity generation, transmission, and distribution. But there are several ways that her current plans could fall short.

How US military action against drug cartels in Mexico could unfold

By James Fowler and Alicia Nieves

A potential four-part scenario can be constructed by examining recent developments in the US-Mexico relationship and US counterterrorism efforts.

Experts react: What Trump’s address to Congress means for the world

By Atlantic Council experts

In his address to Congress, the “America first” president mapped out his administration’s high points and hopes from Greenland and Ukraine to Taiwan, Panama, and Mexico.

A Wall Street wake-up call on Trump’s tariffs

By Atlantic Council

As markets fall in response to the US decision to increase the cost of importing goods from Canada, Mexico, and China, how is the US president thinking about tariffs?

Wall Street is finally waking up to Trump’s tariff policy

By Josh Lipsky

Financial markets are beginning to react after the United States implemented tariffs on its three largest trading partners on Monday.

To tackle China-enabled drug cartels in Mexico, Trump will need military authorization

By Doug Livermore

An authorization to use military force against Mexican drug cartels would unite various government agencies in a coordinated effort to combat a major threat to US national security.

Venezuela sanctions tracker: Who is the international community sanctioning in Venezuela?

By Lucie Kneip, Geoff Ramsey

International actors including the US, Canada, and the EU have imposed sanctions on individuals responsible for acts of corruption, human rights violations, and the breakdown of democratic rule in Venezuela. How aligned are these countries on sanctions, and where do gaps exist?

Milei came to Washington wanting freer trade. What would that mean for the US and Argentina?

By Ignacio Albe, Valentina Sader

The Argentine president used his recent trip to Washington to call for closer trade relations with the United States. Here is what is at stake.

Matthew Kroenig testifies to the House Committee on Homeland Security on China’s strategic port investments in the Western Hemisphere 

On February 11, 2025, Atlantic Council Vice President and Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Senior Director Matthew Kroenig testified before the US House Committee on Homeland Security on China’s strategic port investments in the Western Hemisphere, drawing on recommendations from the Atlantic Council Strategy Paper titled A Strategy to Counter Malign Chinese and Russian […]