SSI Worldwide

Publications

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

Publications

From the Last Frontier to the Final Frontier: The Polar Regions and Space Security

Publications

The Economic Argument for Keeping US Forces in Europe

Slide for "Election, Crisis, and US Opportunity"

South & Latin America

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

From the Archives

Paraguay’s Security Challenges and the Government Response

R. Evan Ellis for CEEP
The article analyzes the security challenges in Paraguay and the government response under the administration of Santiago Peña. It argues that Paraguay, despite its strategic location and regional relevance, faces serious security problems due to organized crime, corruption and its role as a transit point for drugs and weapons. The country also serves as a hub for Hezbollah operations in the region.
Keywords: Paraguay, security, organized crime, corruption, drug trafficking, Hezbollah.

Oct. 28, 2024 - This article analyzes the security challenges in Paraguay and the government response under the administration of Santiago Peña. It argues that Paraguay, despite its strategic location and regional relevance, faces serious...

Chile’s Expanding Defense Relationship with China

From September 9-14, 2024, Chilean Defense Minister Maya Fernandez Allende, granddaughter of Chile’s first socialist president Salvador Allende, traveled to the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to attend the 11th annual Xiangshan Defense Forum in Beijing. The meeting, the most significant event of People’s Liberation Army (PLA) global defense “diplomacy” during the year, was attended by over 500 representatives from more than 90 countries, including 30 Defense Ministers. While there, presumably following many positive encounters and generous PLA hospitality and a meeting with PLA Defense Minister Dong Jun, Minister Fernandez publicly proclaimed her interest in reviving closer Chile-PLA defense cooperation. Her statement, which included the intention to re-activate a previously established PRC-Chile Joint Working Commission.

Photo of Chilean President Gabriel Boric meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Bangkok on Friday. Image via @gabrielboric and sourced from article. (https://chinayamericalatina.com/la-creciente-relacion-de-chile-con-china-en-materia-de-defensa/)

Oct. 18, 2024 - From September 9-14, 2024, Chilean Defense Minister Maya Fernandez Allende, granddaughter of Chile’s first socialist president Salvador Allende, traveled to the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to attend the 11th annual...

Understanding the PRC’s Selective Use of Military Hotlines

Executive Summary: The PRC’s strategic use of and reluctance to establish military hotlines reflect a calculated approach to escalation risk, which can be seen in crises ranging from the accidental bombing of its embassy in Belgrade in 1999 to the present day. There is a recognition that hotlines offer tactical benefits, but they are not viewed as a solution to

Image source: Xi Jinping met with representatives of the 78th Group Army officers and soldiers, via qstheory from article (https://jamestown.org/program/understanding-the-prcs-selective-use-of-military-hotlines/)

Oct. 4, 2024 - Executive Summary: The PRC’s strategic use of and reluctance to establish military hotlines reflect a calculated approach to escalation risk, which can be seen in crises ranging from the accidental bombing of its embassy in...

Ukraine in NATO: Beyond the ‘Irreversible Path’

Whether and how NATO might pull Ukraine closer attracted a great deal of attention at the 2024 Washington summit, with the Alliance settling on the formulation of an ‘irreversible path’ towards Kyiv’s membership and pledging to further institutionalise the NATO–Ukraine relationship.

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00396338.2024.2403220

Sept. 20, 2024 - Whether and how NATO might pull Ukraine closer attracted a great deal of attention at the 2024 Washington summit, with the Alliance settling on the formulation of an ‘irreversible path’ towards Kyiv’s membership and pledging...

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

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

The move by the Brazilian government of Luis Ignacio (Lula) da Silva against the Elon Musk-owned information companies X and Starlink have transcendental significance beyond the struggle at hand. It is illustrative of the efforts of regimes both authoritarian and democratic to shield themselves from informational, commercial and legal vulnerabilities arising from a global connectivity whose effects are made increasingly pronounced by advances in digital technologies.

Sept. 13, 2024 - Elon Musk’s clash with the Lula government raises the issue of how to promote democracy and free speech in the new technological era...

Bolivia and US Dilemmas in Engaging with Problematic Regimes in Latin America

R. Evan Ellis
Background photo of La Paz, Bolivia skyline from article (https://www.indrastra.com/2024/09/bolivia-and-us-dilemmas-in-engaging.html)

Sept. 12, 2024 - I recently had the opportunity to engage with a senior Bolivian colleague connected with the government of Luis Arce regarding the country’s economic and political difficulties and its relationship with the United...

Ukraine has invaded Russia, what happens next?

Aug. 26, 2024 - Ukraine shocked Russia and its allies by launching a surprise attack on the Kursk region and has now seized over 1200 square kilometres of enemy territory. Will this operation prove pivotal for the war or could it turn into a...

The NATO Strategic Concept on Its Seventy-Fifth Anniversary

Aug. 14, 2024 - | Published by Army University Press Military Review, July-August 2024 | The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) will celebrate its seventy-fifth anniversary at its 2024 summit in Washington, D.C. NATO’s age tells a...

Venezuela’s Elections: Hoping for the Best, Preparing for the Worst

July 25, 2024 - As Venezuela moves toward promised national elections on July 28, my heart is with the hopes of Venezuelans for a miracle that will translate their courageous act of voting, into a restoration of democracy. Everything I have...