Philip Peters joined the Lexington Institute as Vice President in April 1999. He has responsibility for international economic programs with a focus on Latin America. His articles on public policy have been published in The Wall Street Journal, The Christian Science Monitor, Barron's, The Miami Herald, Latin Trade, specialized publications, and newspapers throughout Latin America. He has provided interviews and commentary on CNN Spanish, Univision, and numerous radio programs.
A Cuba expert, Peters has traveled throughout the island to monitor market-based changes in Cuba's economy, and his original field research has produced studies on small business, agriculture, and foreign investment. Peters also writes on trade policy, the liberalization of telecommunications markets, and intellectual property rights. Peters has testified before Congress and served as a member of the Council on Foreign Relations Task Force on U.S.-Cuba Relations. He has addressed diverse audiences, including The Economist annual conference on Latin America telecommunications, the Corporate Council on Africa's intellectual property rights workshop, and the Cuban-American National Foundation.
Prior to joining Lexington, Peters served for six years as a State Department appointee of Presidents Reagan and Bush, including service as political counselor in the U.S. embassy in Managua and as spokesman for the Bureau of Inter-American Affairs. He also served as a senior aide in the House of Representatives and as a senior fellow at the Alexis de Tocqueville Institution (1996-1999). Peters is a graduate of the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service (B.S. 1978, International Economics) and the Georgetown University Graduate School (M.A. 1986, National Security Studies). He is married to the former Marybeth Norris and resides in Arlington, Virginia with their two sons.