Foreign Relations Archives - Americas Quarterly

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro takes part with First Lady and candidate for the National Assembly, Cilia Flores, in a march marking the end of the electoral campaign on May 22, 2025 in Caracas, Venezuela. On May 25, Venezuelans will vote in the local elections for 285 members of the National Assembly, 24 governors, and 260 legislators to state legislative councils.

Hardliners Are Poised to Dominate New Phase of U.S.-Venezuela Relations

The regional elections and the suspension of Chevron’s oil license will further isolate Maduro’s regime, writes an expert.

U.S. President Donald Trump and Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele at the White House on April 14, 2025. U.S. Silence on Human Rights in Latin America Carries Substantial Risks

U.S. Silence on Human Rights in Latin America Carries Substantial Risks

The Trump administration’s policies are undermining regional stability and its own ability to lead, writes a former U.S. ambassador to the OAS.

China Doubles Down on Latin America

The recent China-CELAC forum underscores how LAC must position itself strategically amid shifting geopolitics.

Panama's President Jose Raul Mulino looks on as US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth signs a bilateral agreement, in Panama City on April 9, 2025. Hegseth arrived in Panama for the regional security summit and to reinforce the Trump administration's continued interest over the canal.

Panama’s President Mulino Is Right to Cooperate with the U.S.

Performative resistance to Trump might be gratifying, but it would undermine Panama’s most critical strategic interests, writes Mulino’s former deputy minister of foreign affairs.

WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 14: U.S. President Donald Trump meets with President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador in the Oval Office of the White House April 14, 2025 in Washington, DC. Trump and Bukele were expected to discuss a range of bilateral issues including the detention of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, who has been held in a prison in El Salvador since March 15. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

What Bukele Wants from Trump

The Salvadoran president’s controversial deals with the U.S. are calculated to preserve his reputation at home as the economy stumbles and evidence of a gang truce mounts.

Securing the Panama Canal Requires Diplomacy

A lighter touch with President Mulino will yield better results for the U.S.

Stopping Venezuela’s Exodus Hinges on Restoring Hope

The nation’s problem is still there, and appeasing Maduro will not stem the flow of migrants, two experts write.

Panama May Need a New Trump Strategy

The country’s accommodating stance so far hasn’t stopped the U.S. president from demanding the return of the canal.

As Maduro Goes Rogue, Trump Has Choices to Make

The U.S. can still go beyond pragmatic deals, countering Maduro by using oil as the ultimate leverage.

U.S. military personnel operate in Border Patrol vehicles between Ciudad Juarez and El Paso in January.

The Storm for U.S.-Mexico Ties Is Only Beginning

Even though Trump stepped back from the brink on tariffs, structural problems in Mexico point to continued trouble ahead.

Guatemalan migrants deported on a U.S. Air Force plane arrive in Guatemala City on Jan 30.

Guatemala Aims for Quiet Coexistence with Washington

President Arévalo is betting on discreet cooperation and pragmatic engagement with the Trump administration.

What Trump Really Wants in Panama

Whether it’s countering China, or pursuing a new U.S. expansionism, the president’s threats have already led to concrete action inside Panama, writes AQ’s editor-in-chief.

Ten Keys to Understand Trump 2.0 and Latin America

Migration, relations with China and crisis points in Cuba and Venezuela are among the top issues the region will deal with under the new U.S. administration.

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 20: U.S. President Donald Trump signs executive orders during an indoor inauguration parade at Capital One Arena on January 20, 2025 in Washington, DC. Donald Trump takes office for his second term as the 47th president of the United States.

Deportations and Tariffs Are a Stern Test for Sheinbaum

In dealing with its northern neighbor, Mexico should prepare for the worst while hoping for the best.

People look at two cargo ships entering the Miraflores Locks of the Panama Canal on January 22.

Why the U.S. Should Not Take Back the Panama Canal

There were good reasons to return the canal to Panama. Undoing it now would be a geopolitical disaster.