Columns

The rise of left-wing governments in Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Peru is largely the result of growing anti-establishment sentiment fueled by economic volatility.

China's rapidly aging population (and Beijing's failure to timely adjust the country's pension schemes and retirement policies accordingly) presents an acute threat to the country's economic development.

The unceremonious end to Xi's championed lockdown strategy poses an acute threat to his influence on policymaking and his prospects for a fourth five-year term in 2027.

The recent ''Qatargate'' scandal involving EU lawmakers reflects a pattern of statecraft that increasingly risks backfiring on Arab Gulf states, as their strategic value to the U.S. and Europe wanes.

Brexit, COVID-19 and the Ukraine crisis have increased the influence of southern and eastern EU members to the detriment of traditionally more influential countries in the north.

GBV is often primarily seen as a women’s and human rights issue. But in sub-Saharan Africa, it is also a key constraint to stable (and democratic) governance, economic growth, and lasting peace.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine clearly tops the list. But other events, like NASA's return to the moon, also marked key turning points in greater global trends.

In this scorecard, we take a critical look at our successes and slip-ups in forecasting geopolitical events over the past year.

As the Western-led global order erodes and the international system becomes more chaotic and uncertain, security will become increasingly difficult to define (and achieve).

Despite their attention-grabbing actions, their message is muddled, the audience is ambiguous and the call to action is unclear.

Targeted attacks, isolated civil disturbances and malicious cyber activity are three of the largest corporate security risks to safety and operations.

The war between North and South never officially ended, but the battle to achieve economic prosperity weighs much heavier on the minds of many South Koreans.

There are abundant reminders in Ramallah, Tel Aviv and elsewhere of the different realities that constrain and pressure each side of the conflict.

The course of events after the Cold War ended may explain why few in Asia share the predominant European belief in the inevitability of a tightly knit global system.

The view of Afghanistan from ground level is very different from 35,000 feet up, or from a world away in Washington, D.C.

Traveling through Andalusia reveals the complexity of the region's culture and history -- and the pride its people have in them.

Colombia is not an easy country to govern. Its mountains and jungles have historically harbored towns and villages that have wildly different political worldviews and that have been in constant conflict since the country's independence in 1810. Political identity -- left or right -- has long been a defining feature of Colombia's isolated towns, particularly those in Antioquia department. It is in this context that in 1977 embattled rancher Ramon Isaza gathered forces in the sleepy river town of Puerto Boyaca to fight the FARC forces terrorizing his community.

The future of the peace deal with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, like that of the country as a whole, is uncertain. But Colombia's recent progress gives hope of a brighter future.

As the end of the year approaches, it is important to reflect on the past, take stock of the present and look ahead to the future.

By most conventional logic in the publishing trade, our approach shouldn't work. That it does is the reason for our shoutout here to the many independent thinkers and like-minded readers who are willing to swim with us against so many currents.

As we grow and evolve as a company, the world of geopolitics is also changing before our eyes.

Nearly a month has passed since American voters gave the presidency, seemingly against all odds, to Donald Trump. And for nearly a month a global chorus of pundits, pollsters and media prophets have asked: How did just about everyone get it wrong? Amid the hand-wringing, the list of culprits is long: Skewed models of voter bases. The demise of landline telephones. Underestimates of "lapsed voters." The evolution of game-changing social media. Wishful thinking.

Stratfor is a unique company, and that very uniqueness that makes us difficult to pin down, open as we are to so many interpretations. So it's time to try to pull back the curtain on who we are, what we do and how we do it. Welcome to our new column, Stratforium.