Juan Cruz was Senior Director for Western Hemisphere Affairs at the White House National Security Council from 2017-18, a role in which he served as Pres. Trump’s top advisor on Latin America issues. He was instrumental in defining the administration’s approach to the Venezuela crisis and to Cuba policy. Prior to joining the White House, Cruz served for 30 years as a senior US government official in a variety of overseas postings, including Brazil, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Venezuela, and Colombia, where had historic successes against drug cartels and guerrilla insurgencies.