Adam Isacson

Adam Isacson has worked on defense, security, and peacebuilding in Latin America since 1994. He now directs the Defense Oversight program at the Washington Office on Latin America, which monitors U.S. cooperation with Latin America’s security forces, among other security trends. Isacson accompanies WOLA’s Colombia program on peace and security issues. This country, which Isacson has visited about 80 times, has been a central focus for his Defense Oversight work, as Colombia has long been the primary recipient of U.S. security assistance in the Western Hemisphere. Since 2011, Isacson has also focused on border security. He has visited the U.S.-Mexico border about 30 times, and has also completed field research along nearly the entire border between Mexico and Guatemala. Before coming to WOLA in 2010, Isacson worked on Latin America demilitarization at the Center for International Policy (CIP). There, he joined with Latin America Working Group and WOLA in creating a longstanding project, now called Security Assistance Monitor, that oversees U.S. military assistance to the region. A prolific writer and coder, Isacson has produced over 250 publications, articles, book chapters, and policy memos over the course of his career. He has created several websites, from blogs to standalone web apps. He hosts WOLA’s podcast, Latin America Today. He speaks to about 20 audiences per year, from universities to grassroots gatherings to government agencies. He has testified eight times before the U.S. Congress.