35 West

Energy is an often overlooked, yet fundamental building block for economic growth and prosperity— especially in light of a shifting geopolitical context which has placed a premium on securing supply chains from disruption by malign actors and strategic competitors, there is a unique opportunity for North America as a bloc to rethink energy security. But the development of the North American natural gas industry has unfolded unevenly. While the United States has been quick to make the jump, even becoming a net energy exporter, Mexico in particular has been steadily decreasing its domestic production in favor of cheap, competitive U.S. imports.In this episode, Ryan C. Berg sits down with Benigna Cortés Leiss, Nonresident Fellow in Latin American Energy at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy. Together, they discuss the obstacles facing Mexico's domestic natural gas sector, and how a focus on state-owned oil company PEMEX to the exclusion of other actors, has undermined the country's potential to capitalize on its other energy resources. They also discuss how a more robust Mexican gas industry could join the United States and Canada to seize on opportunities and ameliorate global energy insecurity prompted by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

A shifting global narcotics market has brought on new challenges, with one of the most significant developments occurring in the global cocaine trade, where Europe has emerged as the preeminent destination for these illicit shipments. As drug trafficking organizations pivot their operations to take advantage of the high prices cocaine fetches on the European markets and low penalties for distributors, the Caribbean becomes a more important transshipment point. The Caribbean’s strategic geography, insufficient port security and interdiction assets, direct connections to Europe, along with criminal networks make this region an appealing transit point for drug trafficking organizations.In this episode, Christopher Hernandez-Roy sits down with Rufus Ferdinand, Deputy Chief Operations Officer for the Joint Regional Communications Center (JRCC) at the Caribbean Community’s Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (CARICOM IMPACS). Together, they discuss the agency's priorities for confronting shifting criminal dynamics, improving intelligence cooperation, and enhancing technology adoption and training. They also delve into the second-order consequences of narcotics trafficking, especially firearms trafficking in and through the region.

Linked by trade, geography, and shared democratic institutions, the partnership between Panama and the United States allowed both countries to reap significant benefits. However, beyond any economic factors, Panama’s commitment to democracy, including as a founding member of the Alliance for Development in Democracy, alongside Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic, is truly what cements the importance of the U.S.-Panama partnership. In this episode, Ryan C. Berg sits down with Janaina Tewaney, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Panama. Together, they analyze the role of U.S.-Panama cooperation across a range of topics from nearshoring, to environmental conservation, and the ongoing fight against organized crime. The conversation also emphasizes the historical roots of the bilateral relationship, and future opportunities to strengthen cooperation.

In recent years, the authoritarian Ortega-Murillo regime has consolidated power, systematically dismantled organized opposition, and brutally cracked down on public protests. To push back against the regime, the United States has deployed sanctions, on individuals, entities, and state-owned companies, as well as directed its executive directors at multilateral lending institutions to oppose financing to Managua. These measures remain insufficient to place genuine pressure on the regime, however, and a more muscular sanctions architecture is in order as the Nicaraguan regime continues to run roughshod over human rights and presents a geopolitical threat the United States. In this episode, Ryan C. Berg sits down with Eric Olson, Director of Policy and Strategic Initiatives for the Seattle International Foundation. Together, they assess the current state of U.S. sanctions against Nicaragua, as well as future directions for bringing pressure against the regime. They also evaluate the risks inherent in a sanctions campaign, and how to balance between denying revenues to the regime and preserving the livelihoods of Nicaraguan citizens, as well as avoiding exacerbating already serious migration flows from Nicaragua.

After four years of a so-called “maximum pressure” sanctions campaign against Venezuela, there seems to be a push from Washington to revisit this sanctions architecture. Sanctions relief has long been a priority for the Maduro regime, which also ascribes blame for all manner of Venezuela’s economic woes on the U.S.-led sanctions campaign. However, the United States should be highly skeptical about pledges from the regime without concrete signs of improvement, and must be able to credibly threaten that these measures will snap back in the case of worsening conditions. In this episode, Christopher Hernandez-Roy sits down with Carrie Filipetti, Executive Director of the Vandenberg Coalition, and former Deputy Special Representative for Venezuela at the U.S. Department of State. Together, they discuss into the state of U.S. sanctions today against the Maduro regime, the role these will play in the leadup to planned presidential elections, and what can be done to further pressure the regime to make meaningful concessions at the negotiating table.

AUKUS, the newly-established security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom, and United States, has made waves of late as a result of its focus on helping Australia operate, acquire, and eventually build its own nuclear-powered attack submarines. But the agreement goes well beyond that, to touch on emerging technologies and providing greater deterrence to revisionist and revanchist powers. Canada, despite its membership in important partnerships like NATO and the Five Eyes, was absent from initial AUKUS discussions, and while Ottawa is now apparently considering the benefits of the agreement, Canada’s defense posture remains woefully out of sync with that of its allies.In this episode, Christopher Hernandez-Roy sits down with Vincent Rigby, senior adviser with the CSIS Americas Program and visiting professor at the Max Bell School of Public Policy at McGill University. Together they discuss the findings of a recent CSIS Commentary making the case for Canadian membership in AUKUS, the advantages participation in the agreement would garner, as well as what Canada could bring to the table. They also go beyond AUKUS to examine Canada’s broader defense posture and security challenges.

Rising geopolitical tensions between the United States, Russia, and China, have prompted some to argue the world is heading towards a polarized and fragmented future, with some countries split into opposing camps between democracies and autocracies and others not wanting to choose sides. In Latin America, rising U.S.-China competition has provoked fears that the region may be forced to choose between the economic development and trade which China offers, and its longstanding relationship with the United States. In response, a new strategy, known as Active Non-Alignment, has been proposed for the region. In this episode, Christopher Hernandez-Roy sits down with Ambassador Jorge Heine, one of the most prominent luminaries on the theory of active non-alignment and is also the co-editor of a new influential book Latin American Foreign Policies in the New World Order: The Active Non-Alignment Option. Together, they discuss the theory and various perspectives on Active Non-Alignment, its application by countries in the region as a response to Russia’s war in Ukraine, and the future of the strategy for a world marked by U.S.-China competition.  

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.