Online course: Crisis of US hegemony? Geopolitics, security and disputes in Latin America and the Caribbean

• Analyze the crisis and reconfiguration of US power in the international system and in the hemisphere.
  
• Examine its impacts in Latin America and the Caribbean in areas such as migration, trade, security, intelligence, and disputes over strategic resources.
  
• To contribute to political and intellectual education from a critical perspective on inter-American relations.
  
• To create a space for dialogue between academia, activism, and regional thought.

The course is aimed at:
● university students
● teachers and researchers
● political and social activism
● journalists
● public servants
● General public interested in international politics, migration and regional sovereignty

• Inaugural class

  Democracy, human rights and hemispheric security
  
  Dialogue between Darío Salinas and Adolfo Pérez Esquivel
  
  This inaugural class proposes to reflect on the current tensions between democracy, security and human rights in the Americas.
  Through a dialogue between two renowned specialists, the recent changes in the hemispheric security architecture, the forms of democratic selectivity in international politics, and the impact of measures such as economic sanctions and restrictive migration policies on the populations of the region will be analyzed.
  The role of social movements and regional resistance in the face of these processes will also be addressed.
  The meeting seeks to articulate structural analysis and normative reflection, promoting an open exchange between the speakers and the public.

   

• 1 Class
  
  Internal crisis, redefinition of hemispheric power and global order

  The objective of this class is to analyze the internal political transformations of the United States and their impact on the configuration of the contemporary international order.
  The processes of political polarization and the crisis of the Western liberal consensus will be examined, as well as the growing radicalization of conservative sectors and its effects on the institutional reconfiguration of the American political system.
  Within this framework, the continuities and changes in the United States' foreign policy towards Latin America and the Caribbean will be discussed, paying special attention to the notion of hemispheric security and the dynamics of democratic selectivity that permeate inter-American relations.
  The class seeks to provide tools to understand how internal political processes in the United States influence the redefinition of its regional and global projection.

• 2 Class
  
  Migration, the Caribbean and the border: security and human rights
  
  The objective of this class is to analyze contemporary migrations in the hemisphere from a perspective that articulates geopolitics, security, and human rights.
  The growing securitization of migration in US policy will be addressed, which tends to redefine migratory movements as a national security issue.
  In this context, policies towards different countries and regions—such as Cuba, Haiti, Central America and Venezuela—will be examined, as well as the mechanisms for externalizing migration control and their impact on countries of origin, transit and destination.
  The class will allow participants to understand how migration policies are part of broader strategies for border management, hemispheric security and regional governance, as well as their social and humanitarian consequences.

   

• 3 Class
  
  Trade policy, strategic resources and regional security architecture
  
  The objective of this class is to examine recent transformations in the relationship between trade, security, and geopolitics in the hemisphere.
  The process of securitization of international trade will be analyzed, visible in the increasing use of tariffs, economic sanctions and trade pressure tools as instruments of strategic competition.
  The conference will also address disputes over strategic resources—such as lithium, energy, and critical infrastructure—and their importance in reshaping economic and political relations between the United States and Latin America.
  Finally, the military presence in key regions such as the Caribbean and the South Atlantic will be examined, as well as the processes of interoperability and military cooperation that contribute to shaping a new hemispheric security architecture.

• Special Conversation II – Course Closing
  
  Hegemony, political economy, and geopolitical disputes in the hemisphere
  
  Dialogue between Atilio Boron and Leandro Morgenfeld
  
  This closing discussion proposes a comprehensive reflection on the recent transformations of US power and their implications for Latin America and the Caribbean.
  Based on a dialogue between two renowned specialists in international political economy and inter-American relations, the discussion will focus on whether the contemporary scenario expresses a decline in the hegemony of the United States or a recomposition of its forms of power in the international system.
  The meeting will also address the growing role of the securitization of international trade, disputes over strategic resources and the militarization processes that permeate hemispheric politics, as well as the different ways of projecting power in the region.
  Within this framework, the possible scenarios for Latin America and the Caribbean will be discussed in a global context marked by geopolitical tensions, economic transformations and redefinitions of the international order.
  The discussion will serve as a strategic closing event for the course, integrating the economic, political, and geopolitical dimensions covered throughout the program and promoting an open dialogue with the participants.

The course will be delivered online, combining synchronous and asynchronous components. Over the course of one month, a total of five classes will be held (3 lectures + 2 special discussions), which will then be available as recordings for asynchronous viewing.

Live classes will be held on the following days Thursday at 7pm ARG through the Zoom platform, which will allow direct interaction between participants. In addition, students will have access to exclusive materials, available in the virtual classroom, that will complement the content covered in each session.

The final assessment will consist of an individual online questionnaire, which will be a necessary condition for passing the course.