Agenda

This panel will explore the growing convergence of economic and national security challenges across Latin America. Panelists will examine how fragile economies—undermined by corruption, inequality, and external debt—create vulnerabilities that are exploited by transnational criminal organizations, insurgent groups, and foreign powers.

• Speaker: Gerard Johnson, Senior Advisor to the Caribbean, SEAF
• Speaker: Martín Redrado, Former Central Bank President, Argentina, Visiting Professor
• Speaker: Sylvia Cesaratto, Consul General, Canadian Consulate of Miami
• Speaker: Carlos Díaz-Rosillo, Ph.D., Founding Director, FIU Adam Smith Center for Economic Freedom
• Moderator: Arantxa Loizaga, Network News Anchor at NBCUniversal Telemundo

This panel will examine the evolving threat landscape facing maritime trade, including smuggling, human trafficking, cyber threats targeting smart ports, vulnerabilities linked to foreign ownership and influence, and the potential for terrorist exploitation of maritime systems. The discussion will highlight the role of emerging technological innovations—such as artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT) integration, blockchain for supply chain security, and biometric screening—in strengthening port and vessel defenses.

• Speaker: Frederick P. Wong, Jr, Deputy Director, PortMiami
• Speaker: Alexandre Muyl, Head of Security, CMA CGM
• Speaker: Lt. Col. Kirk Johnson, Vice President, Port Authority Jamaica
• Speaker: Azeem Ali, Security Superintendent to the Port Authority Trinidad and Tobago
• Moderator: Ryan Berg, Ph.D., Director, Latin America Program, Center for Strategic and International Studies

This panel will explore the strategic significance of critical minerals in shaping global power dynamics, focusing on how control over these resources influences geopolitical relationships and economic leverage. Panelists will examine the security risks associated with dependency on single-source suppliers and discuss strategies for diversifying supply chains to reduce vulnerability. The conversation will also address government and industry initiatives surrounding strategic stockpiling to ensure the long-term availability of essential minerals.

• Speaker: Raul Jungmann, CEO, Brazilian Mining Institute, IBRAM
• Speaker: Yamilee Bastien, Consultant, Domane
• Speaker: Mahnaz Khan, J.D., Vice President of Policy, Silverado Policy Accelerator
• Speaker: Kjirstin Breure, President and CEO of HydroGraph
• Speaker: Ali Rahman, J.D., President and CEO of LEXI Lithium and Senior Fellow, Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy
• Moderator: Anthony Batt, U.S. Southern Command

This panel will delve into the dual-use nature of cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), quantum computing, and biotechnology, examining how these innovations serve as both critical security assets and potential threats. Panelists will assess the rise of autonomous systems—including drones, robotic security platforms, and autonomous shipping—and the unique risks they pose to global stability. The discussion will also highlight the growing threat of disinformation campaigns, particularly how adversaries leverage AI-generated content to manipulate information environments and destabilize regions.

• Speaker:Javier Alberto Ayala Amaya, Ph.D., President, Universidad Militar Nueva Granada, Colombia
• Speaker: Saif Ishoof, CEO of Lab22C
• Speaker: Sandra Quincoses, Ph.D., Google
• Speaker: Andrew Spear, Director of Intelligence, Strider Technologies
• Moderator: Tyler Johnson, Director, Defense and Dual Use-Innovation, eMerge Americas

This panel will focus on the pressing challenges of protecting critical infrastructure, including energy grids, ports, and financial institutions, from an increasingly complex array of cyber threats. Panelists will examine the rise of ransomware attacks and state-sponsored cyber operations, discussing emerging trends in cyber warfare and effective response strategies. The conversation will also explore how artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming cyber defense, particularly in enhancing threat detection, response times, and predictive capabilities.

• Speaker: Carlos Solar, Ph.D., Senior Fellow, RUSI
• Speaker: Donavon Johnson, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, FIU Public Policy and Administration
• Speaker: Jovianna Gonzalez, President and CEO of Digital Forensics Now
• Speaker: Marc Asturias, SVP Marketing and Field Chief Information Security Officer – Government, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Canada, Fortinet
• Moderator: Miguel Asencio, Director, Cyber Policy Program at Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy

This panel will explore the evolving security challenges in the space domain, focusing on the rise of anti-satellite weapons (ASATs) and their far-reaching implications for global stability and defense. Panelists will discuss the critical role of space-based surveillance and intelligence systems, emphasizing how satellites contribute to national security and military operations.

• Speaker: Bruno Martini, Ph.D., Researcher, Brazilian Air Force Academy
• Speaker: Laura Delgado Lopez, Non-Resident Space Policy Fellow, Perry Center
• Speaker: Deirdre Kirsten Tatlow, Senior Reporter for International Affairs, Newsweek
• Moderator: Guido Torres, Executive Director, Irregular Warfare Initiative

• Speaker: Douglas Farah, Senior Advisor on Transnational Crime, TAEDA Foundation

• Speaker: Pablo Zeballos, Senior Advisor, TAEDA Foundation

• Speaker: Eduardo Gamarra, Ph.D., Professor, FIU Department of Politics and International Relations
• Speaker: Myah Havertong, Doctoral Candidate in Criminal Justice, Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy
• Moderator: Anthony Pereira, Ph.D., Director, FIU Kimberly Green Latin American and Caribbean Center

• Speaker: Fernando Marengo, Chief Economist and Partner, Black Toro Global Investments 
• Speaker: Jennifer Prescott, Director for International Trade and Tax Policy and Director of Latin America Public Policy, Amazon Web Services (AWS)
• Speaker: Juan Gonzalez, Former NSC under the Biden Administration
• Speaker: Ramon Escobar, Managing Director, Actum
• Moderator: Mark Rosenberg, Ph.D., Former President, FIU and Professor of Politics and International Relations

This panel will examine how transnational criminal organizations exploit weak borders to facilitate drug and human trafficking, undermining national security and public safety. Panelists will explore the rise of digital crime networks, focusing on the use of cryptocurrency, the dark web, and encrypted communications to conduct illicit activities while evading detection. The discussion will also highlight how global supply chains are infiltrated by counterfeit goods and smuggling operations, negatively impacting economies and legitimate trade.

• Speaker:Pablo Zeballos, Senior Advisor, TAEDA Foundation
• Speaker: Felix Maradiaga, Nicaraguan Exile, Friedrich Naumann Foundation
• Speaker: Eduardo Gamarra, Ph.D., Professor, FIU Department of Politics and International Relations
• Speaker: Wolf Pamphile, Executive Director, Haiti Policy House
• Moderator: Katharina Krakow, Regional Project Manager, Friedrich Naumann

This panel will explore the complex ways in which financial crime is evolving in the digital era, with a focus on how cryptocurrencies and other digital assets are leveraged to facilitate money laundering and illicit transactions. Panelists will discuss the role of shell companies and offshore banking in creating weak points within the global financial system, often exploited by criminal actors. The conversation will also address how rogue states and sanctioned entities circumvent economic restrictions through sophisticated sanctions evasion tactics.

• Speaker: Amanda Gore, Researcher, Center for Global Affairs
• Speaker: Angela Bruhjell, Senior Director of Operations, C4ADS
• Speaker: Martin Vladimirov, Director, Geoeconomics, Center for the Study of Democracy
• Speaker: Guillermo Lagarda Cuevas, Inter-American Development Bank
• Moderator: Nicholas Schumann, US Financial Crime Framework, HSBC

This panel will analyze how major powers, including China, Russia, and others, are expanding their military and strategic presence in key regions such as Latin America, Africa, and the Arctic to project influence and reshape global security dynamics. Panelists will examine the role of infrastructure investments—particularly initiatives like China’s Belt and Road Initiative—and their security implications for host nations. The discussion will also cover hybrid warfare tactics, highlighting the use of cyberattacks, economic coercion, and disinformation campaigns as tools of state influence.

• Speaker: Sara Galvez, Analyst, Center for the Study of Democracy
• Speaker: Jessica Ludwig, Global Policy Fellow, George W. Bush Institute
• Speaker: Nancy Helena Arellano Suarez,Program Director, CEDRO
• Speaker: Vladimir Rouvinski, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Political Studies, ICSI
• Speaker: Douglas Farah, Senior Advisor on Transnational Crime, TAEDA Foundation
• Moderator: Ruslan Stefanov,Program Director, Center for the Study of Democracy

This panel will explore the intersection of climate change and security, focusing on how resource scarcity—such as food, water, and arable land—can drive conflict and regional instability. Panelists will discuss the growing need for disaster resilience, highlighting how climate-driven migration, extreme weather events, and infrastructure failure pose complex security challenges.

• Speaker: Marilyn Crichlow, Water Resources Consultant, Hydrologist and Former General Manager
• Speaker: Hugo Rodriguez Mantilla, Regional Manager, Gran Santander, Colombia
• Speaker: Rafael Costa, Director General, CENSIPAM, Brazil
• Speaker: Andrea Crosta, Executive Director, Earth League International
• Moderator: Wazim Mowla, Associate Director, Atlantic Council

This panel will explore the evolving strategic significance of Antarctica, focusing on how scientific research stations may serve dual-use purposes with potential military applications. Panelists will address the environmental challenges facing the region, including the accelerating impact of climate change on polar ecosystems and rising sea levels.

• Speaker: Carlos Flesia, Retired Colonel of Argentine Army, TAEDA Foundation
• Speaker: Juan Pablo Toro, Executive Director, AthenaLab
• Speaker: Juan Ignacio Canepa, TAEDA Foundation
• Moderator: Yanina Kogan, Director, TAEDA Foundation

This panel will address the growing threat of illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and its impact on both economic security and marine ecosystems. Panelists will explore how these illicit activities destabilize coastal economies, deplete fish stocks, and threaten biodiversity.

• Speaker: Sam McGovern, C4ADS
• Speaker: Katy Dalton, Conservation International
• Speaker: Gina Fiore, Coalition for Fisheries Transparency
• Speaker: Gregg Casad, WildAid
• Moderator: Mark Bond, Research Assistant Professor, FIU Institute of Environment