Leadership in Trying Times

The Future of Cuba and Venezuela

From its political ties to industrial partnerships, there are many parallels between Cuba and Venezuela. But as policy positions shift within the hemisphere, what lies ahead for both of these countries? In this episode, Adrienne Ross is joined by former Ambassador to Venezuela James Story [https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/expert/james-story/], alongside Rick de la Torre [https://www.rickdelatorre.com/], a retired CIA Chief of Station on Caracas - who now runs the political government relations group Tower Strategy. She also speaks to Rosa María Payá [https://liberal-international.org/people/rosa-maria-paya-acevedo/], a leading Cuban pro-democracy activist and founder of the campaign group Cuba Decide. She's the daughter of the Cuban opposition leader Osvaldo Payá, who was assassinated in a car crash in 2012. These conversations took place during the 11th Annual Hemispheric Security Conference [https://gordoninstitute.fiu.edu/news-events/hsc/agenda/] in Miami.

Leadership in Trying Times

What do the people in charge of the region’s future really think about its safety, and what are they doing to help shape it? From the sidelines of the 11th annual ⁠Hemispheric Security Conference⁠ [https://gordoninstitute.fiu.edu/news-events/hsc/agenda/] in Miami, Adrienne Ross speaks to ⁠Laura Chinchilla⁠ [https://freedom.fiu.edu/laura-chinchilla/], the first woman to serve as president of Costa Rica (2010-2014), about the biggest threats that her own country is facing and how they impact Latin America.  Later, Ross is joined by ⁠Rafael Grossi⁠ [https://www.iaea.org/about/rafael-mariano-grossi/biography], the director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency and a nominee to be the next secretary-general of the United Nations. He discusses the impact of his organization on the Western Hemisphere and the need for a change in global diplomacy.

External Powers Threatening the Region

There’s no denying that national security threats for the Western Hemisphere are becoming more complex.  In this episode, host Adrienne Ross discusses the power of adversaries such as China and Russia and the impact of virtual propaganda to the Americas.  Her guests include retired Rear Adm. Mike Studeman, a former senior intelligence officer in the U.S. Navy who also served as director of intelligence at both U.S. Indo-Pacific Command and Southern Command. He’s an expert on China and U.S.-Asia relations. And to talk about online threats, Inga Trauthig [https://sipa.fiu.edu/people/staff/profiles/jack-gordon-institute/inga-trauthig.html], an expert in propaganda, emerging technologies, and democracy. She has written more than 80 publications and is currently a research professor at the Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy at Florida International University (FIU). This is one of the many topics set to be discussed at FIU’s 11th Annual Hemispheric Security Conference [https://gordoninstitute.fiu.edu/news-events/hsc/agenda/], which begins this week in Miami.

The Vital Role of the Americas

In recent months, the Trump administration has made the case in its ⁠National Security Strategy⁠ that the Western Hemisphere has been overlooked for too long. In this conversation, host Adrienne Ross discusses the pivot toward centering U.S. focus on the Americas. Her two guests include Brian Fonseca⁠ [https://sipa.fiu.edu/people/staff/profiles/jack-gordon-institute/brian.fonseca.html], vice provost for defense and national security research and director of the Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy at Florida International University. He is also the founding executive director of cybersecurity at FIU. And also joining her is Carlos Díaz-Rosillo⁠ [https://freedom.fiu.edu/director/], founding director of the Adam Smith Center for Economic Freedom. During the first Trump administration, Díaz-Rosillo held a variety of high-level positions, including acting principal deputy assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs. The three tackle a number of topics that will be discussed at ⁠FIU’s 11th Annual Hemispheric Security Conference⁠ [https://gordoninstitute.fiu.edu/news-events/hsc/agenda/] in May, including the modern-day application of the Monroe Doctrine, Venezuela’s future, and the Shield of the Americas coalition.

Coming Soon: Hemispheric Security with FIU

Every year in Miami since 2015, Florida International University—and its Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy—has convened heads of state, cabinet ministers, ambassadors, and government and military leaders from all over the world, plus private-sector experts, to take part in a leading forum designed to address security issues.   Join host Adrienne Ross for a deep dive into the big topics and discussions that emanate from FIU’s 11th Annual Hemispheric Security Conference.