Army War College - SSI News

How Maduro’s capture went down – a military strategist explains what goes into a successful special op

Dr. R. Evan Ellis — Mon, 05 Jan 2026 17:52:00 GMT

The predawn seizure of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on Jan. 3, 2026 was a complicated affair.

Loyal Paraguay: The Peña Government’s Strategic Choice to Stay with Taiwan

Dr. R. Evan Ellis — Tue, 26 Aug 2025 19:13:00 GMT

From August 11-15, 2025, the author was in Asuncion, Paraguay, in an International Republican

Election, Crisis, and U.S. Opportunity in Bolivia

Dr. R. Evan Ellis — Wed, 13 Aug 2025 14:41:00 GMT

Bolivia, strategically at the center of South America, faces a critical election that will define

Transnational Organized Crime in Mexico and the Government’s Response

Dr. R. Evan Ellis — Tue, 29 Apr 2025 21:06:00 GMT

The US government threats of tariffs on the Mexican government if it did not do more to control

Amid Trump Tariffs, Where Do China-Mexico Ties Stand?

Dr. R. Evan Ellis — Mon, 24 Mar 2025 18:46:20 GMT

Mexico’s government is attempting to downplay its relationship with China to avoid Trump’s ire, but

Toward a More Effective DoD Contribution to Strategic Competition in the Western Hemisphere

R. Evan Ellis — Fri, 21 Feb 2025 20:17:00 GMT

Innovative new thinking is needed on the security challenges the People’s Republic of China poses in Latin America and the Department of Defense’s role in the US response, including (1) enhanced security cooperation that helps key democratic partners succeed and provides the United States leverage and situational awareness, and (2) anticipating how the People’s Republic of China may exploit its commercial and other activities in the region in times of war.

The Impact of China on US Interests in Latin America

Dr. R. Evan Ellis, PhD — Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:20:13 GMT

President Trump’s statements regarding the influence of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) over

Ecuador’s Security Challenges and the Government’s Response

R. Evan Ellis — Tue, 11 Feb 2025 18:58:00 GMT

In January 2024, following a series of dramatic public security incidents, including the escape from

2025: Possibilities for the Year to Come

Dr. Evan Ellis, PhD — Fri, 27 Dec 2024 16:19:00 GMT

2025 is likely to be a transformative year for Latin America and the Caribbean, and its

Ecuador’s Evolving Engagement with the PRC

Dr. Evan Ellis, PhD — Tue, 24 Dec 2024 16:29:00 GMT

Under the current Ecuadorian government of Daniel Noboa, major infrastructure, financial, and

Security Implications for the United States from Iranian and Hezbollah Activities in Latin America

Dr. R. Evan Ellis — Wed, 18 Dec 2024 15:23:27 GMT

This presentation will examine engagement with Latin America by Iran, its government agents, and

Making the Case for Democratic, Limited Government and Economic Liberty in the Americas

R. Evan Ellis — Tue, 17 Dec 2024 14:41:00 GMT

This work is derived from an address given by the author to the InterAmerican Institute for

Challenges and Opportunities for U.S.-Mexico Security Cooperation

Dr. R. Evan Ellis, PhD — Tue, 26 Nov 2024 14:30:00 GMT

While policy clashes between the elected governments of Mexico and the United States in the coming years appear likely, the degree to which those tensions degrade the commercial relationship and security cooperation that is vital to both will depend on the forbearance and statesmanship of leaders on each side.

Security Challenges in the Dutch Caribbean

Dr. R. Evan Ellis, PhD — Tue, 12 Nov 2024 15:55:05 GMT

This work examines security challenges facing the Dutch Caribbean, including narcotrafficking and other forms of organized crime, money laundering, Venezuelan and other refugee flows, and the little-understood activities of criminal groups operating within the region’s Chinese minority communities. It also examines the successes and challenges in coordination between law enforcement and other government entities in the Dutch Caribbean, and between the Dutch Caribbean and the European Netherlands,

Strategic Implication of the Chinese-Operated Port of Chancay

Dr. Evan Ellis, PhD — Thu, 07 Nov 2024 20:20:00 GMT

This article examines the Port of Chancay from a strategic perspective, with a focus on how COSCO (China Ocean Shipping Company) achieved unprecedented control over the operation of the new Peruvian megaport, the impact that the port is likely to have on the global logistics system, and its strategic implications in time of war with the United States. It argues that the project is illustrative of how the PRC

Venezuela: The Path Forward

Dr. Evan Ellis, PhD — Wed, 06 Nov 2024 16:58:00 GMT

Thanks to the courageous work of the Venezuelan opposition, including obtaining physical and photographic evidence of over 80% of the individual “acts” from Venezuela’s more than 30,000 polling places, the world generally knows that Edmundo Gonzalez received far more votes than Nicholas Maduro in the country’s July 28, 2024, Presidential election. Nonetheless, he is unlikely to successfully take control of the state apparatus that controls Venezuela’s territory on Inauguration Day, January 10, 2025.

Paraguay’s Security Challenges and the Government Response

Dr. R. Evan Ellis, PhD — Mon, 28 Oct 2024 13:29:51 GMT

This article analyzes the security challenges in Paraguay and the government response under the

Chile’s Expanding Defense Relationship with China

R. Evan Ellis — Fri, 18 Oct 2024 13:30:00 GMT

From September 9-14, 2024, Chilean Defense Minister Maya Fernandez Allende, granddaughter of Chile’s

Re-Asserting the Value of the Individual for Latin America’s Security and Prosperity

Dr. R. Evan Ellis, PhD — Tue, 15 Oct 2024 17:03:00 GMT

Empowerment of the individual, not the state, is the key to innovation, prosperity, physical and political security for Latin America, as the region engages with an unprecedented array of challenges and new partners.

Brazil’s Attempt to Control X: The Deterioration of the Liberal World Order

R. Evan Ellis — Fri, 13 Sep 2024 19:43:09 GMT

Elon Musk’s clash with the Lula government raises the issue of how to promote democracy and free speech in the new technological era.