Shifting U.S. Strategy in LATAM: Discussion with Mr. Juan Gonzalez, Special Assistant to the President and NSC Senior Director Western Hemisphere Affairs

On July 9, 2021, the Meridian Corporate Council in collaboration with Millicom hosted a conversation with Mr. Juan Gonzalez, Special Assistant to the President and National Security Council Senior Director – Western Hemisphere Affairs. This event was moderated by Ms. Natalie Jones, Senior Vice President – External Affairs & Diplomatic Engagement at Meridian International Center and focused on the Biden Administration’s security strategy in the Western Hemisphere and opportunities for economic growth and investment. 

Mr. Juan S. Gonzalez was commissioned on January 20, 2021, as Special Assistant to the President of the United States and National Security Council Senior Director for the Western Hemisphere. Prior to joining the administration, Mr. Gonzalez worked on the Biden-Harris Presidential Transition as Deputy for National Security Appointments, as co-chair of the Biden-Harris 2020 Campaign Western Hemisphere Foreign Policy Working Group and represented the Biden campaign on the Biden-Sanders Unity Task Force on Immigration.  

Throughout the event, Mr. Gonzalez emphasized the importance of re-engaging countries in the Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) region from a strategic foreign policy standpoint, departing from the traditional U.S. approach to foreign affairs in the region.