The Aspen Strategy Group is proud to release a series of original papers and op-eds authored by ASG members and distinguished experts who joined us for the 2026 ASG Summer Workshop. This collection examines strategic challenges and opportunities in the Western Hemisphere.
This publication includes original essays as well as pieces sparked and informed by the sessions that have since been published in external outlets. Thank you to our authors for contributing to this effort.
“We hope these essays, informed by our discussions in Aspen and by the experience of leaders from across the U.S. and the region, will contribute to a serious and practical debate about America’s future in the Western Hemisphere.”
– Anja Manuel, Executive Director, Aspen Strategy Group and Aspen Security Forum
Thank you to Robert Zoellick, Anja Manuel, Sara Carter, Alejandro Cacace, Emilio Ocampo, Leopoldo López, Rosa María Payá, Ricardo Zúniga, Rafael Fernández de Castro, Jean Manes, Jane Harman, Marc A. Thiessen, Paola Sapienza, and María Fernanda Bozmoski for contributing to this effort.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Condoleezza Rice, Nicholas Burns, and Anja Manuel
Aspen Strategy Group
The 3 R’s of America’s Home Hemisphere: Republics; Revolutionaries; & the ’Rithmatic of Politics
Robert Zoellick
Aspen Strategy Group
Americas First: Trump and Latin America
Anja Manuel
The Hill
It’s Time for the Nation to Unite Under President Trump to End Our Longest War
Sara Carter
Argentina: From Basket Case to Test Case
Alejandro Cacace
A Dollar Strategy for Latin America
Emilio Ocampo
Venezuela’s Transition Has Already Begun. It Has Four Layers, and Only One Is Finished.
Leopoldo López
Cuba Is Ready for Freedom—And We Are Preparing for What Comes Next
Rosa María Payá
Help Cubans Help Themselves
Ricardo Zúniga
2026: The Most Difficult Year in a Century of U.S.-Mexico Relations
Rafael Fernández de Castro
Team USA: Securing the Hemisphere for the Future
Jean Manes
Congress Has Gone AWOL in Its Own Hemisphere
Jane Harman
This Fourth, Don’t Buy the Snake Oil of the ‘Blood and Soil’ Right
Marc A. Thiessen
America Is Closing the Door to Talent
Paola Sapienza
How to Protect the Panama Canal
María Fernanda Bozmoski
Please note that all authors’ opinions are their own. This compilation does not reflect the views of all meeting participants, the Aspen Strategy Group, or the Aspen Institute.
