Wednesday, September 23, 2026
Drawing on original research, fieldwork, and policy experience, Leland Lazarus examines China’s efforts to establish “strategic support points” across Latin America and the Caribbean in his new book, Dragon in the Americas: China’s Power, Presence, and Regional Influence. The book explains how Beijing increasingly blends economic engagement with strategic ambition, even as countries in the region exercise their own agency, balancing relations with China and the United States. The result is a nuanced, data-driven framework for understanding power, dependency, and sovereignty in a rapidly evolving region.
In an interview conducted on October 13, 2026, Dr. Leland Lazarus joins Natalia Cote-Muñoz to discuss Latin America’s role within the future of U.S.-China relations.
Speaker
Leland Lazarus
Leland Lazarus is the founder and CEO of Lazarus Consulting LLC, a geopolitical risk firm specializing in U.S.-China relations and China’s engagement in the Western Hemisphere. He has testified before Congress about China’s national security threats in Latin America, and taught U.S.-China relations and Chinese foreign policy at Florida International University.
Dr. Lazarus served as the special assistant and speechwriter to two four-star Commanders of the U.S. Southern Command (Department of Defense). He was previously a foreign service officer in China and the Caribbean.
Dr. Lazarus is a term member of the Council on Foreign Relations, a member of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations and a fellow in the NCUSCR Public Intellectuals Program, and a member of the Atlantic Council’s Global China Hub. His articles and commentary have appeared in NBC News, The Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Univision, Telemundo, the Miami Herald, Foreign Policy, and various international outlets.
Moderator
Natalia Cote-Muñoz
Natalia Cote-Muñoz is a consultant and researcher focused on technology, China, and the Western Hemisphere. She advises technology companies on geopolitical risk, national security, and responsible AI. She served in the Biden-Harris administration as Acting Deputy Special Representative for City and State Diplomacy in the State Department’s Subnational Diplomacy Unit and in the Secretary’s Office of Policy Planning.
Prior to government service, Ms. Cote-Muñoz conducted research at the Council on Foreign Relations, the Inter-American Dialogue, and the Carnegie-Tsinghua Center. She also taught China’s future diplomats at the China Foreign Affairs University in Beijing. She publishes Artificial Inquiry, a weekly newsletter on AI governance and geopolitics.
Ms. Cote-Muñoz holds an MPP from Harvard Kennedy School and a BA in political science from Swarthmore College. She works across English, Spanish, French, and Mandarin.
