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President Donald Trump during a news conference in the White House briefing room on Monday, April 6, 2026. (Getty Images)
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A soldier stands guard outside Canela Radio on January 10, 2024, in Quito, Ecuador. (Photo by Franklin Jacome/Getty Images)
Ecuador, once among the most peaceful countries in Latin America, faces an existential threat from an array of criminal groups. These organizations have committed unprecedented violence, infiltrated political structures, and challenged the government’s authority. Meanwhile, the country is going through an economic contraction and an energy crisis triggered by severe drought.
In a repeat of snap presidential elections held in 2023, Ecuadorians will vote on April 13 in a runoff pitting incumbent Daniel Noboa against Luisa Gonzalez, a protégé of former leftist president Rafael Correa.
Former United States Ambassador to Ecuador Mike Fitzpatrick, Atlantic Council scholar Isabel Chiriboga, and US Naval Academy Professor John Polga-Hecimovich will join Hudson’s Daniel Batlle to examine Ecuador’s fight against organized crime and how the election results will shape the country’s security strategy.
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Sustaining the Edge: A Conversation with Congressman Ronny Jackson on US-Israel Technology and Security
Featured Speakers:
Joel Rayburn
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April 2026
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Sustaining the Edge: A Conversation with Congressman Ronny Jackson on US-Israel Technology and Security
Please join Director of the Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East Michael Doran and Congressman Ronny Jackson (R-TX) for a discussion on the congressman’s recently introduced United States-Israel Framework for Upgraded Technologies, Research, and Enhanced Security Act and the strategic importance of the US-Israel partnership.
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Joel Rayburn
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30 - 03
April - May 2026
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
The Era of Rivalry: American Power and the Contemporary World Order | Hudson Institute Political Studies Policy Certificate Program
Featured Speakers:
Peter Campbell
Rachel Mackey
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30 - 03
April - May 2026
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
The Era of Rivalry: American Power and the Contemporary World Order | Hudson Institute Political Studies Policy Certificate Program
This certificate program is designed to equip policy professionals with a rigorous framework for understanding great power competition and the evolving structure of the international order.
Featured Speakers:
Peter Campbell
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May 2026
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
A Conversation with Former METI Minister Nishimura on Prime Minister Takaichi's Policy Outlook and Solutions
Featured Speakers:
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In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
A Conversation with Former METI Minister Nishimura on Prime Minister Takaichi's Policy Outlook and Solutions
On May 6, Hudson Japan Chair Kenneth R. Weinstein will welcome Yasutoshi Nishimura, former head of Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) to Hudson.
Featured Speakers:
Yasutoshi Nishimura
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12
May 2026
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
China’s Persecution: Assault on All Faiths
Featured Speakers:
Sam Brownback
Hon. Frank Wolf
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Mihrigul Tursun
Arjia Rinpoche
Frances Hui
Wang Chunyan
Pastor Pan Yongguang
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Pastor Corey Jackson
Grace Jin Drexel
Moderator:
Nina Shea
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May 2026
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
China’s Persecution: Assault on All Faiths
To address these concerns, former senator Sam Brownback, who served as ambassador at large for international religious freedom in the first Trump administration, will join Senior Fellow Nina Shea to propose new policies for the US government and actions for the American public.
Featured Speakers:
Sam Brownback
Hon. Frank Wolf
Michael Arkush
Mihrigul Tursun
Arjia Rinpoche
Frances Hui
Wang Chunyan
Pastor Pan Yongguang
Peter Xu
Enes Freedom
Pastor Corey Jackson
Grace Jin Drexel
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Nina Shea
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China's President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People on April 21, 2026, in Beijing, China. (Getty Images)
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Election winner and leader of Hungary’s TISZA party, Peter Magyar, during a press conference in Budapest, Hungary, on April 20, 2026. (Getty Images)
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Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 2018. (Wikimedia Commons)
