Discussing the situation around the US intervention in Venezuela, Arresting President Maduro, and what can come next.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1j7WsxDCfAcMYiujv4jrqibAX4fVuFcif/view

Interviewed by El Universal, I comment that the US has much more to gain by finding a way for Mexico to be tougher against cartels, than to taking action in Mexico itself.

MEXICO CITY, Oct 14 (Reuters) - The U.S. government has revoked the visas of at least 50 politicians and government officials in Mexico amid the Trump administration's crackdown on drug cartels and their suspected political allies, two Mexican officials told Reuters.
A handful of these cases have been publicized, but Reuters reporting shows the visa cancellations are far more widespread than previously reported.

According to three former U.S. ambassadors, previous administrations have revoked visas in this way - but not to the same degree, which they said was indicative of President Donald Trump's willingness to use the diplomatic tool to achieve policy goals.

"The Trump administration is finding new ways to exert more pressure on Mexico," said Tony Wayne, U.S. ambassador to Mexico from 2011 to 2015.
The move has sent quiet shockwaves through Mexico's political elite, who regularly travel to the U.S. and require a visa to do so. It also marks a significant broadening of U.S. anti-narcotics action, with the Trump administration targeting active politicians usually seen as too diplomatically sensitive.
One of the sources, a senior Mexican politician, said more than 50 politicians from the ruling Morena party have had their visas revoked, as well as dozens of officials from other political parties. The sources requested anonymity to speak on a sensitive topic. ...

Agenda & Speakers

1. Welcome and Opening Remarks (5 minutes) - Ambassador Wayne & Rohullah
Moderator’s introduction and framing of the session

Brief overview of objectives and flow

2. Speaker Presentations (35 minutes)
a. Mr. Haneef Atmar – Former Foreign Minister of Afghanistan (10 minutes)

Update on Afghan former politicians in exile and their engagement with EU and regional players

Reflections on UN facilitation efforts for intra-Afghan dialogue

Observation and recommendations for the new U.S. administration on Afghanistan

b. Mr. Masoom Stanekzai – Former Chief Peace Negotiator (10 minutes)

Readout of recent regional trip and meetings with political figures/regional players

Observations on the intra-Afghan dialogue front

c. Ambassador Ronald Neumann – Former U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan (10 minutes)

U.S. perspective from recent conversations

Key considerations for U.S. engagement on Afghanistan

3. Open Discussion and Insights from Participants (17 minutes)
Group members' reflections, brainstorming, and recommendations

Invited remarks from Ambassadors and group members

4. Wrap-Up and Next Steps (3 minutes) -Ambassador Wayne & Rohullah
Summary of key takeaways
Next meeting timing and topics

Panelists discuss the recent reorganization of the U.S. Department of State, including the reasons behind the structural changes and the impact on U.S. humanitarian efforts and broader foreign policy objectives.

Speakers
Anne C. Richard
Board Member, USA for International Organization for Migration; Former Assistant Secretary for Population, Refugees and Migration, U.S. Department of State (2012–2017); CFR Member

Daniel Runde
Senior Advisor (Non-Resident), Office of the President, Center for Strategic and International Studies; CFR Member

Earl Anthony Wayne
Hurst Senior Professorial Lecturer and Distinguished Diplomat in Residence, School of International Service, American University; CFR Member

Presider
Linda Robinson
Senior Fellow for Women and Foreign Policy, Council on Foreign Relations

Former Senior U.S. Officials Call on Congress to Avert Total Collapse of U.S. Humanitarian and Refugee Leadership
July 16, 2025

WASHINGTON—Almost 200 former senior-level U.S. government officials who served under both Republican and Democratic administrations released a letter to Congressional leaders today calling on them to act urgently to avert a total collapse in U.S. humanitarian and refugee leadership. Endorsers include former National Security Advisors, senior State Department officials, military leaders, and USAID senior leaders.

The letter comes amid historic cuts to U.S. humanitarian programming, most recently Secretary Rubio’s decision to dramatically downsize and effectively dismantle the U.S. Department of State Bureau for Populations, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) and on the heels of the administration’s elimination of USAID.

“These actions leave the U.S. government without any meaningful operational or diplomatic tools to address displacement and humanitarian crises overseas. They also disregard decades of U.S. Congressional intent and legislation,” the letter reads.

“None of this is about reform; it’s abdication,” said Eric Schwartz, former Assistant Secretary of State for PRM during the Obama administration. “This is a moment that demands courage and clarity from Congress to restore our humanitarian tools and reaffirm America’s commitment to human dignity and international stability. Congress must step in now to reverse this course.”

“Helping refugees and others in peril has been a proud American tradition,” said Anne C. Richard, former Assistant Secretary of State for PRM during the Obama administration. “By supporting humanitarian operations, our country has saved millions of lives and demonstrated that we do not turn away from people who have lost everything.”

“The Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, that I loved and served immediately after 9/11, was truly the world’s powerhouse for humanity,” said Arthur “Gene” Dewey, former Assistant Secretary of State for PRM during the George W. Bush administration. “It was the face of American soft power in reducing worldwide disorder and chaos. Reluctant donor states contributed substantially to humanitarian crises only because PRM constantly leveraged its own enormous donations to get them to act. Similarly, UN humanitarian agencies earned their keep through PRM leadership from alongside them – leadership that leveraged their dependence on U.S. financial diligence to get productive assistance and protection on behalf of the world’s millions of desperate humanitarian beneficiaries. Now in renouncing that leadership, the administration has made America less great, less safe, less influential, and tragically less good.”

“This letter is an alarm bell to our elected leaders,” said Jeremy Konyndyk, President of Refugees International and a former senior USAID official in the Obama and Biden administrations. “The dismantling of the U.S. refugee and humanitarian architecture is a moral and strategic disaster for the United States. Shuttering our global refugee and humanitarian response capacity threatens U.S. national security: it will unleash deeper instability, needless human suffering, and will undermine American credibility on the world stage.”

Read the letter and see a full list of signatories here.

It was my great pleasure to join in the North American Forum meeting in San Diego. I had the pleasure of participating in two of the panels both of which had good discussions.

Three Authors: Diego Marroquin (CSIS), Tony Wayne (American University/ Inter American Dialogue) and Chris Hernandez Roy (CSIS)