Policy Priorities
U.S. Leadership in the Hemisphere
We work to guarantee the United States remains the leading economic, political, and military power in the Western Hemisphere.Hemispheric Security is National Security
Our strategy begins with the principle that the safety of the U.S. depends on the stability of our neighbors—security must start at home and next door.Border Integrity and Homeland Defense
From stopping illicit flows to dismantling cartel-state alliances, we push for decisive policies that secure the border and reinforce our internal defenses.Push Back Against Chinese Influence
China is expanding its influence across Latin America—we’re exposing it and pushing back with policy and partnerships that protect U.S. interests.
At the America First Policy Institute (AFPI), we believe that safeguarding the homeland starts with securing our own neighborhood. The Western Hemisphere Initiative was launched to reaffirm and strengthen America's role as the undisputed leader in the region. Guided by the America First vision, we are committed to countering foreign adversaries—such as Communist China—who seek to undermine U.S. influence and stability in Latin America and the Caribbean.
This initiative isn't about short-term fixes—it's a long-term strategy to secure our borders, assert U.S. dominance, and build strong alliances across the hemisphere. By uniting policy, research, and action, the Western Hemisphere Initiative ensures America leads from a position of strength, rooted in sovereignty, and focused on the security and prosperity of our people.
In a fast-moving world, the Western Hemisphere is a front line. Our team is actively engaged—on the ground, in the room, and leading the conversation. We’re tracking critical developments, forging key alliances, and driving the ideas that keep America in command. Because if the United States doesn’t lead here, someone else will—and that’s a risk we won’t take.
Team
The Honorable Chad Wolf
Chair, Homeland Security & Immigration
The Honorable Robert Wilkie
Co-Chair, American Security
Joshua Treviño
Senior Fellow for the Western Hemisphere Initiative
Melissa Ford Maldonado
Director of the Western Hemisphere Initiative
Peter J. Brown
Senior Fellow for Western Hemisphere Security and Maritime Affairs
Kristen Ziccarelli
Director of Civilizational Action
Emily Cole
Foreign Affairs Coordinator
Latest
Issue Brief
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January 23, 2026
The Axis Across the Atlantic: Iran’s Influence in the Western Hemisphere
Appearing on CBS News hours after the extradition of Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro, Secretary of State Marco Rubio explained that one of the goals of Operation Absolute Resolve is to make sure that “[in] the 21st century, under the Trump administration, we are not going to have a country like Venezuela in our own hemisphere, in the sphere of control and the crossroads for Hezbollah, for Iran and for every other malign influence in the world. That's just not gonna exist” (Weinthal, 2026).
Op-Ed
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January 9, 2026
Venezuela Exposes Western Europe’s Procedural Reflex
On January 3, 2026, the United States took historic action against a regime that had spent years exporting violence, narcotics, and instability far beyond its borders. In a joint operation involving the U.S. military and law enforcement, Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured and removed from the country. Venezuelans around the world have poured into the streets to celebrate the collapse of a brutal dictatorship.
Commentary
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January 6, 2026
Only America Could Do This: Inside Trump’s Venezuela Victory
Op-Ed
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January 2, 2026
At Long Last, Washington Remembers Its Own Neighborhood
At the dawn of the new year, the most important foreign-policy debate facing the United States isn’t unfolding in Ukraine or the Middle East. It’s playing out much closer to home—in Central and South America.
Op-Ed
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December 12, 2025
‘America First’ Starts in our Own Hemisphere
There’s a reason American airmen, sailors, and Marines are putting themselves into harm’s way in the southern Caribbean. It’s not because Washington suddenly returned to neoconservative adventurism. It is because a narco-state ruled by a corrupt leftist dictator has become the latest frontline in defending the American people.
Topics
- Rural Prosperity
- Government Weaponization
- American Only Elections
- Clean Votes
- Secure Elections
- Big Tech & Censorship
- Budget, Spending, & Taxes
- Government De-Regulation
- The Administrative State
- Rogue Prosecutors Citizens Rights
- Regulatory Reform
- Border & Immigration
- Asia
- Europe
- Defense
- Israel & the Middle East
- The Western Hemisphere
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