2026 Agenda

Join us in Miami, the gateway to the Americas, for one of the leading security forums in the Western Hemisphere.

11^th Annual Hemispheric Security Conference
Florida International University
Tuesday, May 5 to Friday, May 8, 2026

REGISTER for our Pre-Conference Workshops (Tue. May 5)
* Venezuela & Cuba: Risks, Reforms and Realities
* Transnational Crime: Evolving Threats, Expanding Reach
* Haiti at a Crossroads: Confronting Crisis, Shaping the Future
* Rule of Law Under Pressure: Securing Citizens in Fragile Environments

This dynamic conference will convene:

National Presidents * Ambassadors * Ministers of Defense * Senior Government Officials * Military Leaders * CEOs * Policymakers * Scholars *Private-sector experts * and more from across the Americas.

Should you need an ADA accommodation to participate in a University event, program, or activity or need to request materials in an accessible format, please contact FIU’s Office of Civil Rights Compliance and Accessibility (CRCA) at 305-348-2785 or accommodations@fiu.edu. All requests for ADA accommodation or accessible materials for this event must be submitted to CRCA at least seven (7) business days prior to the event or at the earliest possible opportunity.

Tuesday, May 5th, 2026
Tuesday, May 5th, 2026
Pre-Conference Concurrent Workshops
Transnational Organized Crime: Evolving Threats, Expanding Reach
Led by Center for the Study of Democracy
- Carrie Filipetti, Executive Director, Vandenberg Coalition
- Guadalupe Correa-Cabrera, Professor and Co-Director, Terrorism, Transnational Crime and Corruption Center (TraCCC), George Mason University
- Alejandro Cassaglia, Director/Police Instructor, USAL; Regional Coordinator, Intelligence and Security Community
- Moderated by Martin Vladimirov, Director, Energy and Climate Program & Geoeconomics Program, Center for the Study of Democracy
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, Social Entrepreneur and Founding Member of Lakou Lapè
- 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
Wednesday, May 6th, 2026
Plenary Sessions
Welcome Remarks
- Randy Pestana, Emcee and Director of Policy, FIU Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy
- Jeanette Nuñez, President, FIU
- Mario Montoto, President, Taeda Foundation and Taeda Publishing House
- Brian Fonseca, Ph.D., Vice Provost, Defense and National Security Research and Director, FIU Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy
Fireside Chat: Great Power Competition: Risks and Opportunities for Latin America and the Caribbean
- John Mearsheimer, Ph.D., Distinguished Service Professor, University of Chicago
- Rafael Grossi, Ph.D., Director General, International Atomic Energy Agency
- Moderated by Brian Fonseca, Ph.D., Vice Provost, Defense and National Security Research and Director, FIU Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy
Plenary: Venezuela and Cuba: Future Scenarios, Risks, and Strategic Opportunities
- AMB James “Jimmy” Story (ret), former Ambassador for the Venezuela
- Elisabeth Maigler, Friedrich Naumann Foundation
- Rosa María Payá, Commissioner, Inter-American Commission on Human Rights
- Moderated by Nora Gámez Torres, Ph.D., Cuba Policy Reporter, el Nuevo Herald and the Miami Herald
Fireside Chat: Assistant Secretary of War for Homeland Defense and Americas Security Affairs
- Joseph Humire, Assistant Secretary of War for Homeland Defense and Americas Security Affairs
- Moderated by Randy Pestana, Director of Policy, FIU Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy
Fireside Chat: Minister of Defense of Guatemala
- General 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
- José Luis Manzano, Ph.D., Founder Integra Capital / Nicolás Mallo Huergo, Chief Executive Officer
- Lea Giménez, Ph.D., Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean
- Moderator: Jason Marczak, Vice President and Senior Director, Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center
Fireside Chat: Minister of Defense of Argentina
- 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
- Gregg Casad, Monitoring, Control, & Surveillance Advisor, Skylight
- Rear Admiral Michael “Mike” Studeman, (ret.) and 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
- Laura Delgado Lopez, Senior Fellow, FIU Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy
- Raoul Ouedraogo, Lincoln Laboratory, MIT (I)
- Ivan Marques, Secretary for Multidimensional Security for the Organization of American States
- Angel Diaz, D., BCS Allegiant
- Moderated by Guido Torres, Executive Director, Irregular Warfare Initiative
Thursday, May 7th, 2026
Thursday, May 7th, 2026
Plenary Sessions
Welcome Remarks
Fireside Chat: Minister of National Security of Argentina
- Alejandra Susana Monteoliva, Minister of National Security of Argentina
- Moderated by Gabriela Hoberman, Ph.D., FIU Kimberly Green Latin American and Caribbean Center
Plenary: External Powers in the Americas: Shifting the Security Landscape
- Vladimir Rouvinski, Center for the Study of Democracy
- Renee Novakoff, Senior Fellow, FIU Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy
- Martin Vladimirov, Director of the Energy and Climate Program, Center for the Study of Democracy
- Rafael Marrero, Ph.D., Founder Miami Strategic Intelligence Institute
- Moderated by Vera Bergengruen, National Security Correspondent Wall Street journalist
Fireside Chat: Leading Through Uncertainty: Lessons from Former Heads of State
- Laura Chinchilla, Former President, Republic of Costa Rica
- Felipe Calderón, Former President, Mexico
- Moderated by Carlos Diaz Rosillo, Ph.D., Founding Director, FIU Adam Smith Center
Plenary: The Business of Crime: Economic Engines of Illicit Networks
- Steven Dudley, Co-Founder and Co-Director, InSight Crime
- Gen.Hugo Alejandro López, Commanding General of the Military Forces, Colombia
- Ana Glenda Tager Rosado, Private Secretariat of the Presidency of Guatemala
- Moderated by Jose Miguel Cruz, Ph.D., Interim Director, FIU Kimberly Green Latin American and Caribbean Center
Fireside Chat: Vice President of the Office of Foreign Policy at the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation
- Bethany Aquilina Brez, Vice President of the Office of Foreign Policy, U.S. International Development Finance Corporation
- Moderated by Saif Ishoof, Founder of Lab22C
Plenary: U.S.–Brazil Relations Amid Global Competition
- Nelson Jobim, Former Minister of Defense, Brazil
- (Ret.) General Sérgio Etchegoyen, Chief Minister of the Institutional Security Cabinet (GSI) of the Presidency
- Rodrigo Bacellar, Former President of the Legislative Assembly of the State of Rio de Janeiro
- Moderated by Amb. Ayalde
Plenary: Irregular Migration: National Security Challenges and Policy Responses
- Gil Guerra, Senior Policy Analyst, Niskanen Center
- Betilde Muñoz-Pogossian, Senior Advisor to the Secretary General of the OAS
- Adam Isacson, Director for Defense Oversight, Washington Office on Latin America
Plenary: Forging the Shield of the Americas: Building Strategic Partnerships
- Maria Paula Romo, Former Minister of Government of Ecuador
- Vice Admiral Marcelo Dale Nogare, Chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
- Moderated by Yanina Kogan, Director, Taeda Foundation
Friday, May 8th, 2026
Friday, May 8th, 2026
Plenary Sessions
Kenote Address
- Amb. Stephanie Syptak-Ramnath, Foreign Policy Advisor, US SOUTHCOM
Fireside Chat: U.S. Ambassador to Mexico
- Ronald “Ron” D. Johnson, U.S. Ambassador to Mexico
- Moderated by Eric Farnsworth, Partner and Head of International Policy, Continental Strategy
Fireside Chat: U.S.-China Strategic Competition and Implications for Hemispheric Security
- Bernie Navarro, U.S. Ambassador to Peru
- Kevin Cabrera, U.S. Ambassador to Panama
- Moderated by Jay Kramer, Director of Public Affairs, Citadel and Citadel Securities
Fireside Chat: Securing the Americas Through International Cooperation
- Leandro Rizzuto Jr., U.S. Ambassador to the OAS
- Moderated by Adrienne Ross, Senior Advisor, U.S. Foreign Policy and Global Affairs
Fireside Chat: Caribbean Defense and Security Amidst Global Uncertainty: Haiti
- Henry T. Wooster, U.S. Ambassador to Haiti
- André François Giroux, Canadian Ambassador to Haiti
- Moderated by Jackie Charles, Journalist, Miami Herald
Closing Remarks
- Brian Fonseca, Ph.D., Vice Provost, Defense and National Security Research and Director, FIU Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy

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2026 Agenda