Dr. Paul Angelo

Dr. Paul J. Angelo assumed his position as Director of the William J. Perry Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies on June 21, 2022, following his selection by the Office of the Secretary of Defense. His previous work at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) included roles as the fellow for Latin America studies and as an International Affairs Fellow. There he focused on US-Latin American relations, transnational crime, security assistance, and immigration. A former active-duty naval officer, Angelo has extensive experience in military and government service.

During his tenure as an International Affairs Fellow, he also represented the US Department of State at the US Embassy in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, where he managed the ambassador’s security and justice portfolio. In the Political Section, he provided technical assistance to the Honduran police reform commission; supported strategy development and agenda-setting for Afro-descendent, indigenous, and LGBTQ+ networks to improve civic engagement; and led policy and legal analysis on violence, crime, and migration trends.

His previous service in the Navy included tours in a United Kingdom-based NATO position, on board a destroyer deployed to the Asia-Pacific region, and as an instructor at the US Naval Academy, where he taught Spanish and Latin American politics courses. During his naval career, Angelo deployed to Colombia on three occasions over the course of more than a decade. During his longest mission in Colombia, he served as the US Embassy’s principal liaison to the Colombian military and police in the highly conflictive Pacific coast.

He was directly responsible for the planning of inter-agency missions focused on improving local governance, rule of law, and security in support of Plan Colombia, and he spearheaded the coordination and implementation of the Embassy’s largest bilateral humanitarian mission in 2011.

Dr. Angelo continues to serve as a Commander in the US Navy Reserve, supporting the US Naval Forces Southern Command as the executive officer of a Puerto Rico-based unit. He is also the author of a forthcoming book about US security assistance. Dr. Angelo’s written commentary has appeared in Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Miami Herald.

Dr. Angelo holds a BS in political science (with honors) from the US Naval Academy, where he was awarded the Harry S. Truman Scholarship, an MPhil in Latin American studies (with distinction) from the University of Oxford, where he studied as a Rhodes Scholar, and a PhD in politics from University College London.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

• Angelo, Paul. The Day After in Venezuela – Delivery Security and Dispensing Justice (Washington, DC: Council on Foreign Relations Latin American Studies Program, 2020). Link
• Angelo, Paul and Nick Quested. "Blood on the Wall." Screening and Discussion at the Council on Foreign Relations. September 24, 2020. Link
• Angelo, Paul. "The Pandemic Could Bring Power to Latin America’s Criminal Gangs," Foreign Affairs – Snapshot. April 21, 2020. Link
• Angelo, Paul and David Gevarter. "Who Is Killing Latin America’s Environmentalists?" Council on Foreign Relations - In Brief. April 20, 2020. Link
• Angelo, Paul. "Op-Ed; How Mexico Needs to Handle Its Troubling Federal Security Crisis." The Hill, March 13, 2020. Link
• Angelo, Paul. "Why Can’t Central America Curb Corruption?" Council on Foreign Relations - In Brief. February 6, 2020. Link
• Angelo, Paul. "Peace is Slipping Away in Colombia: How the United States Can Help Win It Back." Foreign Affairs – Snapshot, October 11, 2019. Link
• Angelo, Paul. "Op-Ed; Congress can Hold Trump Accountable on Honduras." The Hill, September 18, 2019. Link
• Angelo, Paul. "In Colombia, False Positives are a False Start for Peace." The Global Americans, May 31, 2018. Link
• Angelo, Paul. "Colombia: False Positives, Failed Justice." Latin American Bureau, May 24, 2018. Link
• Angelo, Paul and Michael J, LaRosa. "Twenty Years On: It’s Time to Invest in 'Paz Colombia.'" The Memphis Flyer, May 25, 2017. Link
• Angelo, Paul. "The Colombian Peace Process: Trial and Error." Survival: Global Politics and Strategy 59, no. 1 (February/March 2017): 135-148. Link
• Angelo, Paul. "Bullets for Ballots: A History of Demobilization, Disarmament, and Reintegration in Colombia." Small Wars Journal – El Centro, June 23, 2016. Link
• Angelo, Paul. "A FARCical Deal in Colombia? Finding a Balance between Peace and Justice." Foreign Affairs – Snapshot, August 7, 2016. Link
• Angelo, Paul. "Tie Central America Aid to Anti-Corruption Efforts." The Hill - Congress Blog, February 23, 2016. Link
• Angelo, Paul. "US Must Support Colombia’s Peace Efforts." The Hill - Congress Blog, February 4, 2016. Link
• Angelo, Paul. "Op-Ed; How to Reintegrate Colombia’s Child Soldiers into Society." Miami Herald, August 14, 2014. Link