An “Americas First” Foreign Policy: Opportunities and Risks in U.S.-Latin American Relations
The United States is often accused of ignoring its relationship with Latin America and the Caribbean. However, in the lead-up to his first international trip, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote that the administration would have an “Americas First” foreign policy—and thus far, much of the administration’s foreign policy has focused on the Hemisphere. While there has been an emergent bipartisan consensus on identifying some of the key issues related to U.S. hemispheric relations, there has been a profound shift in how the Trump administration has approached regional relations and issues.
This shift comes at a time when the United States is increasingly concerned about growing Chinese influence in the region, has taken a harsher line on immigration, labeled regional criminal organizations as foreign terrorists, and is rewriting trade relations. At the same time, the region continues to face development and security challenges while simultaneously dealing with democratic backsliding. Adam Ratzlaff (CEO and Founder of Pan-American Strategic Advisors) will discuss continuity and change in U.S. regional relations and what the opportunities and challenges are moving forward.
Wednesday, October 27 I 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
* Webinar Event *
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Moderator: Dr. Liane Hentschke (Executive Director, TNWAC)
Former professor and researcher in Music Education at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul – UFRGS – Porto Alegre, Brazil. During her career, she served on several organizations related to international cooperation: Director of Institutional and International Cooperation of CNPq (Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development); Director of International Affairs of UFRGS; President-Elect, President, and Past-President of the International Society for Music Education – ISME; Vice-President of the International Music Council – IMC, advisory body for music to UNESCO. Her publications include books, book chapters, prefaces, and refereed journal articles published in Brazil, England, Australia, Argentina, Hong Kong, Germany, and Spain. She was an invited lecturer at the University of Nebraska and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and acted as a grant development consultant for the Illinois Community College. For A3ES – Portugal, she worked on the Accreditation of Higher Education degrees. Dr. Hentschke is currently Executive Director of the Tennessee World Affairs Council in Nashville, TN.
Speaker: Adam Ratzlaff is the founder and CEO of Pan-American Strategic Advisors
Adam Ratzlaff is the founder and CEO of Pan-American Strategic Advisors–a boutique consulting firm and think tank focused on the Western Hemisphere–and a member of Diplomatic Courier’s World in 2050 Brain Trust. With over a decade of experience researching regional affairs, Ratzlaff has consulted for the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, the U.S. Department of Defense, and the U.S. Department of State. Ratzlaff is the author or co-author of over 130 public-facing analyses, reports, and academic works on topics related to Inter-American affairs. His work has been featured in The New Orleans Times-Picayune, Global Americans, The National Interest, Responsible Statecraft, and the Modern War Institute at West Point, among other publications. Ratzlaff is a PhD Candidate (ABD) in International Relations at Florida International University and holds an MA from the Josef Korbel School of International Studies (University of Denver) and a BA from Tulane University, where he triple-majored in international relations, economics, and Latin American studies.
