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U.S. Army War College

Central and South America and the Caribbean

R. Evan Ellis

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Due to its geographic contiguity, Latin America and the Caribbean is a region that significantly impacts US security and prosperity, primarily through commerce, drugs, migration, and strategic risks to the homeland arising from extrahemispheric US rivals’ access to the region. In 2025, the region is under considerable stress from transnational criminal corruption and violence, compounding long-standing socioeconomic and environmental challenges; potential new economic shocks; and a fundamental reorientation of the region’s relationships with the United States, China, Europe, and other actors. Numerous political changes may also accelerate these dynamics.  

Among the region’s challenges and dynamics, this work examines trends  in transnational organized crime, migration effects, Chinese activities  in Latin America, Russian activities in the region, changes in the political orientation of the region, regional elections as change drivers, and multilateral affairs.

R. Evan Ellis

R. Evan Ellis

Dr. Evan Ellis is a research professor of Latin American studies at the U.S. Army War College Strategic Studies Institute, with a focus on the region’s relationships with China and other non-Western Hemisphere actors as well as transnational organized crime and populism in the region. Dr. Ellis previously served as on the secretary of state’s policy planning staff with responsibility for Latin America and the Caribbean as well as international narcotics and law enforcement issues. In his academic capacity, Dr. Ellis presented his work in a broad range of business and government forums in 27 countries on four continents. He has given testimony on Latin American security issues to the U.S. Congress on various occasions, has discussed his work regarding China and other external actors in Latin America on a broad range of radio and television programs, and is cited regularly in the print media in both the United States and Latin America for his work in this area. Dr. Ellis has also been awarded the Order of Military Merit José María Córdova by the Colombian government for his scholarship on security issues in the region.

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