HSC 2026 Agenda

Tuesday, May 5th, 2026
Pre-Conference Concurrent Workshops (2 pm to 5 pm) 

Shadow Alliances: Authoritarian Influence and Organized Crime in Latin America
Led by Center for the Study of Democracy 

• Ruslan Stefanov, Program Director, Center for the Study of Democracy 
• Guadalupe Correa-Cabrera, Professor and Co-Director, Terrorism, Transnational Crime and Corruption Center (TraCCC), George Mason University
• Hugo Acha, Director of Research and Outreach at the Foundation for Human Rights in Cuba and Director of the Observatory on Transnational Organized Crim
• Vladimir Rouvinski, Director of the Laboratory of Politics and International Relations (PoInt) at ICESI University
• Martin Vladimirov, Director, Geoeconomics Program, Center for the Study of Democracy 
• Moderated by Michael Miklaucic, Senior Fellow, Center for the Study of Democracy & Oswaldo Aranha Chair Professor of Strategic Studies at the University of Sao Paulo (Brazil)

Cuba: Risks, Reforms, and Realities 

• Carolina Barrero, President and Executive Director, Ciudadanía y Libertad (Citizens and Freedom)
• Armando Chaguaceda, Karl Lowenstein Fellow and Visiting Professor of Political Science at Amherst College
• Jonathan Duarte, Executive Director of Fundación Libertad (Nicaraguan Freedom Foundation)
• Kiele Cabrera, Secretariat Member of the Assembly of the Cuban Resistance
• Moderated by: Elisabeth Maigler Kluesserath, Director for Central America, Friedrich Naumann Foundation

Haiti at a Crossroads: Confronting Crisis, Shaping the Future  
Led by Haiti Policy House 

• Jack Christofides, Special Representative for the Gang Suppression Force
• Luis Henry Mars, Senior Advisor to the Institute fo Research and Action for Peace (IRAP) 
• Lovesun Parent, Executive Director of Libraries Without Borders
• Moderated by Wolf Pamphile, Founder and Executive Director of Haiti Policy House 

Rule of Law Under Pressure: Securing Citizens in Fragile Environments
Led By FIU’s Kimberly Green School for Latin American and Caribbean Studies 

• Alejandro González, World Justice Project (WJP)
• Carolina Jiménez Sandoval,WOLA 
• Ana Glenda Tager Rosado, Private Secretariat of the Presidency of Guatemala
• Moderated by Jose Miguel Cruz, Interim Director, FIU Kimberly Green School for Latin American and Caribbean Studies

Venezuela: Risks, Reforms, and Realities 
Led by: Atlantic Council’s Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center  

• Iria Puyosa,Senior Research Fellow, Atlantic Council 
• Erin McFee,Founder and President, Corioli Institute 
• Bram Ebus,Consultant, International Crisis Group 
• Gonzalo Mendoza,Vice President, Colombian-Venezuelan Chamber 
• Brian Fonseca,Director, FIU Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy 
• Geoff Ramsey,Non-Senior Resident, Atlantic Council 
• Moderated by Jason Marczak,Vice President and Senior Director, Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center  

Wednesday, May 6th, 2026
Plenary Sessions

Welcome Remarks (8:45 am to 9 am)

• Randy Pestana, Emcee and Director of National Security Policy and Strategic Engagement, FIU Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy
• Jeanette Nuñez, President, Florida International University
• Mario Montoto, President, Taeda Foundation and Taeda Publishing House

Plenary: Great Power Competition: Risks and Opportunities for Latin America and the Caribbean (9 am to 10 am)

• Brian Fonseca, Ph.D., Vice Provost, Defense and National Security Research and Director, FIU Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy
• Rafael Grossi, Ph.D., Director General, International Atomic Energy Agency
• John Mearsheimer, Ph.D., Distinguished Service Professor, University of Chicago
• Moderated by Andrew Sollinger, CEO Foreign Policy

Sponsor Keynote (10 am to 10:10 am)

• Rick De La Torre, Chief Executive Officer, Tower Strategy

Plenary: Venezuela and Cuba: Future Scenarios, Risks, and Strategic Opportunities (10:15 am to 11 am)

• Elisabeth Maigler, Project Director for Central America, Friedrich Naumann Foundation
• Rosa María Payá, Founder, Cuba Decide
• Amb James Story, former Ambassador to Venezuela
• Moderated by Nora Gámez Torres, Ph.D., Cuba Policy Reporter, el Nuevo Herald and the Miami Herald

Department of War Remarks: Assistant Secretary of War for Homeland Defense and Americas Security Affairs (11:30 am to 12 pm) 

• Joseph Humire, Assistant Secretary of War for Homeland Defense and Americas Security Affairs

Fireside Chat: Minister of Defense of Guatemala (12 pm to 12:30 pm)

• GEN Henry Sáenz Ramos, Minister of Defense, Guatemala
• Moderated by Eduardo Gamarra, Ph.D., Director of Basic Research, FIU Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy

Plenary: Protecting What Matters: Safeguarding Critical Infrastructure (1:30 pm to 2:30 pm)

• Erik Bethel, Former World Bank Director
• Lea Giménez, Ph.D., Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean
• Carlos Pimentel, General Director, General Directorate of Public Procurement, Dominican Republic
• Jorge Salcedo, President, IMPSA 
• Moderator: Jason Marczak, Vice President and Senior Director, Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center

Fireside Chat: Minister of Defense of Argentina (2:30 pm to 3:15 pm)

• LTG Carlos Alberto Presti, Minister of Defense, Argentina
• Moderated by Fabian Callé, Senior Fellow, FIU Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy

Plenary: Maritime Security Reimagined: Navigating New Threats at Sea (3:45 pm to 4:30 pm)

• Gregg Casad, Monitoring, Control, & Surveillance Advisor, Skylight
• Rear Admiral (Ret.) Michael “Mike” Studeman, Senior Fellow, FIU Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy
• Juan Pablo Toro, Senior Research Fellow, AthenaLab
• Moderated by Bruce Vitor, Director of Research and Operations, FIU Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy

Plenary: The Future of Warfare: Space, Cyber, and Autonomous Systems (4:30 pm to 5:30 pm)

• Laura Delgado Lopez, Senior Fellow, FIU Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy
• Angel Diaz, Ph.D., BCS Allegiant
• Donavon Johnson, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, FIU
• Raoul Ouedraogo, Ph.D., Lincoln Laboratory, MIT 
• Moderated by Guido Torres, Executive Director, Irregular Warfare Initiative

Day 1 Conference Adjournment (5:30 pm)

• Randy Pestana, Director of National Security Policy and Strategic Engagement, FIU Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy

Thursday, May 7th, 2026
Plenary Sessions

Welcome Remarks (9 am to 9:15 am)

• Ana Gonzalez, J2 Deputy Director, U.S. Southern Command

Fireside Chat: Minister of National Security of Argentina (9:15 am to 9:45 am)

• Alejandra Susana Monteoliva, Minister of National Security of Argentina
• Moderated by Gabriela Hoberman, Ph.D., Director of Academic Programs, FIU Kimberly Green Latin American and Caribbean Center

Plenary: External Powers in the Americas: Shifting the Security Landscape (10 am to 11 am)

• Rafael Marrero, Ph.D., Founder, Miami Strategic Intelligence Institute
• Renee Novakoff, Senior Fellow, FIU Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy
• Vladimir Rouvinski, Director of the Laboratory of Politics and International Relations (PoInt) at ICESI University
• Martin Vladimirov, Director of the Energy and Climate Program, Center for the Study of Democracy
• Moderated by Vera Bergengruen, National Security Correspondent, Wall Street Journal

 Fireside Chat: Leadership in Times of Uncertainty  (11:30 am to 12:15 pm)

• Laura Chinchilla, Former President, Costa Rica
• Jose Mallea, Managing Partner, Forward Global
• Moderated by Brian Winter, Editor-in-Chief of Americas Quarterly and the Vice President of Policy at Americas Society and Council of the Americas 

Fireside Chat: Caribbean Defense and Security Amidst Global Uncertainty  (12:15 pm to 12:45 pm)

• Randy Pestana, Emcee and Director of National Security Policy and Strategic Engagement, FIU Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy 
• Tarlie Francis, Grenadian Ambassador to the U.S. & Permanent Representative of Grenada to the OAS
• Moderated by Mark Rosenberg, Ph.D., Professor, FIU

LUNCH (12:45 pm to 1:45 pm)

Plenary: The Business of Crime: Economic Engines of Illicit Networks (1:45 pm to 2:30 pm)

• Steven Dudley, Co-Founder and Co-Director, InSight Crime
• Ana Glenda Tager Rosado, Private Secretariat of the Presidency of Guatemala
• Eduardo Vergara, Citizen Security for the Inter-American Development Bank  
• Moderated by Jose Miguel Cruz, Ph.D., Interim Director, FIU Kimberly Green Latin American and Caribbean Center

Fireside Chat: U.S. Ambassador to the OAS (2:30 pm to 3 pm)

• Amb. Leandro Rizzuto Jr., U.S. Ambassador to the OAS
• Moderated by Adrienne Ross, Senior Advisor, U.S. Foreign Policy and Global Affairs

Coffee Break (3 pm to 3:15 pm)

Plenary: Irregular Migration: National Security Challenges and Policy Responses (3: 15 pm to 4 pm)

• Gil Guerra, Senior Policy Analyst, Niskanen Center
• Adam Isacson, Director for Defense Oversight, Washington Office on Latin America
• Betilde Muñoz-Pogossian, Senior Advisor to the Secretary General of the OAS
• Moderated by Inga Trauthig, Ph.D., Assistant Research Professor, FIU Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy

Plenary: Operationalizing Strategies Against Organized Crime: Lessons from Colombia and Ecuador (4 pm to 4:45 pm)

• GEN (Ret.) Alberto Mejia, former General Commander of the Military Forces of Colombia 
• Amb. Juan Carlos Pinzon, former Ambassador of Colombia to the U.S. and former Minister of Defense 
• Maria Paula Romo, Former Minister of Government of Ecuador
• Moderated by Yanina Kogan, Director, Taeda Foundation

Day 2 Adjournment (4:45 pm)

• Randy Pestana, Emcee and Director of National Security Policy and Strategic Engagement, FIU Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy 

Friday, May 8th, 2026
Plenary Sessions

Welcome Remarks (8:55 am to 9 am)

• Brian Fonseca, Ph.D., Vice Provost, Defense and National Security Research and Director, FIU Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy

•  Amb. Stephanie Syptak-Ramnath, Foreign Policy Advisor, US SOUTHCOM

Fireside Chat: U.S. Ambassador to Mexico (9:15 am to 9:45 am)

• Amb. Ronald D. Johnson, U.S. Ambassador to Mexico
• Moderated by Carlos Diaz Rosillo, Ph.D., Founding Director, FIU Adam Smith Center

• Amb. Mike Waltz, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations  
• Moderated by Shlomi Dinar, Ph.D., Dean, FIU Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs 

Fireside Chat: U.S.-China Strategic Competition and Implications for Hemispheric Security (10:15 am to 11 am)

• Amb. Kevin Cabrera, U.S. Ambassador to Panama
• Amb. Bernie Navarro, U.S. Ambassador to Peru
• Moderated by Jay Kramer, Director of Public Affairs, Citadel and Citadel Securities

Coffee Break (11 am to 11:30 am)

Fireside Chat: Vice President of the Office of Foreign Policy at the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (11:30 am to 12 pm)

• Bethany Aquilina Brez, Vice President, Office of Foreign Policy, U.S. International Development Finance Corporation
• Moderated by Saif Ishoof, Founder of Lab22C

Fireside Chat: Caribbean Defense and Security Amidst Global Uncertainty: Haiti (12 pm to 12:30 pm)

• Amb. André François Giroux, Canadian Ambassador to Haiti
• Chargé d’Affaires Henry T. Wooster, U.S. Embassy Port-au-Prince
• Moderated by Jacqueline Charles, Haiti/Caribbean Correspondent, Miami Herald

• Randy Pestana, Emcee and Director of National Security Policy and Strategic Engagement, FIU Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy