Argentina

Brazil

Paraguay

Uruguay

Europe

Economics

Politics

Argentina's outgoing President Alberto Fernandez said he will not sign a free trade agreement between the South American group of Mercosur countries and the European Union at the Mercosur summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Dec. 7, La Nacion reported on Dec. 3.

EU, Americas: EU-Mercosur Trade Deal at Risk After Outgoing Argentine President's Rejection

Energy

The CEO of Brazil's state-owned oil firm Petroleo Brasileiro, or Petrobras, announced that the country plans to join the oil cartel OPEC+ in January 2024 following a full technical analysis, Reuters reported on Dec. 1.

Brazil: Brasilia to Join OPEC+, Flexing Fossil Fuel Might

Guyana

Venezuela

Military & Security

Brazil's Ministry of Defense announced that it "intensified defensive actions" in the country's northern border region and is "monitoring the situation" in Guyana's Essequibo region, which Venezuela also claims, Reuters reported on Nov. 29.

Brazil, Venezuela, Guyana: Brazil Increases Northern Military Presence Ahead of Essequibo Referendum

The European Union and the Mercosur bloc of South America's largest economies are expected to reach a final agreement for a free trade deal during a meeting between European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on the sidelines of the U.N. Climate Change Conference, Bloomberg reported on Nov. 30.

EU, Americas: EU and Mercosur Countries Near Final Deal for Free Trade Agreement

U.S. auto manufacturer General Motors canceled 1,245 layoffs at three of its factories in Brazil following a regional labor court's decision that the mass layoffs, without prior negotiations, were unlawful, Reuters reported on Nov. 4.

Brazil: GM Caves to Strikes, Possibly Emboldening Other Labor Unions

Paraguay's President Santiago Pena said the European Union must finalize a trade deal with Mercosur by Dec. 6, or the South American bloc will walk away from negotiations and instead negotiate with Asian countries, the Financial Times reported on Sept. 24.

EU, South America: Mercosur Gives EU Ultimatum to Finalize Trade Talks by December

Diplomats and members of the European Parliament stated anonymously that splits between members of Mercosur, the South American customs union and trade bloc, are preventing the passage of the EU-Mercosur free trade agreement (FTA), Reuters reported on Sept. 11.

EU, South America: Mercosur's Divisions Dampen Prospect of EU Trade Deal

Ethiopia

South Africa

Egypt

Iran

Saudi Arabia

United Arab Emirates

China

Russia

India

Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates will join the BRICS trade bloc on Jan. 1, 2024, Bloomberg reported on Aug. 24.

Global: BRICS' Growth Will Attract Funds, Division

Assessments

Israel

Palestinian Territories

Hong Kong SAR, China

A photo taken from southern Israel near the border with the Gaza Strip shows a rocket being fired from inside Gaza toward Israel, as fighting resumed between the Israeli forces and Hamas militants after a temporary cease-fire expired on Dec. 1, 2023.

A look at what the coming week will bring -- and a list of recommended RANE articles from the week that was.

The Weekly Rundown: The Gaza War Resumes, Venezuela Votes on Guyana Dispute

Snapshots

Bolivia

Chile

Colombia

Cuba

El Salvador

United States

People attend a rally in support of Israel in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Oct. 22, 2023. 

Social Issues

Anger over the conflict could temporarily strain Israel and the U.S.'s relations with left-wing governments in the region, while countries with large Jewish or Arab populations may see more security-related incidents.

Latin America's Response to the Israel-Hamas War 

Media

Mexico

Podcasts

Environment, Science & Technology

Science & Technology

Why were some countries better able to mitigate the economic impact of COVID-19?

Essential Geopolitics: The Economic Outlook for Brazil and Mexico

Zimbabwe

Ecuador

Guatemala

Supporters of Guatemalan presidential candidate Bernardo Arevalo attend a campaign rally in the Central Square in Guatemala City, Guatemala, on Aug. 16, 2023. 

The Weekly Rundown: Lunar Landings, the BRICS Summit and a Host of Elections

From left to right, foreign officials from China, Brazil, South Africa, Russia and India (the five BRICS countries) hold a press conference in Cape Town on June 1, 2023, ahead of the bloc's summit in August. 

Internal divisions will slow plans for membership expansion and increased trade at the upcoming BRICS summit.

Internal Divisions Ensure BRICS' Expansion Will Remain Slow

Niger

Ukraine

Pakistan

Deforestation in the Amazon rainforest. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will host a summit on the Amazon on Aug. 7-8 in an effort to draft a common policy for the first time ever for countries with territory in the Amazon rainforest.

The Weekly Rundown: Ukraine Peace Talks in Saudi Arabia, Brazil Hosts an Amazon Summit

Leaders of the summit between the European Union and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) walk for a press conference on July 18, 2023, in Brussels, Belgium. From left to right are European Council President Charles Michel, Argentine President Alberto Fernandez, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves, who is also the current president of CELAC.

A summit revives talks over an EU-Mercosur free trade agreement, but political constraints and protectionism stand in the way of a final deal.

The Obstacles Facing an EU-Mercosur Trade Deal

RANE's Director of Analysis gives an update on the ongoing push to implement the two trade blocs' 2019 agreement.

Essential Geopolitics: Can the EU and Mercosur Resurrect Their Trade Deal? 

Thailand

France

French police officers in riot gear stand guard and hold tear gas canister launchers next to the facade of a damaged Apple Store in Strasbourg, eastern France, on June 30, 2023.

The Weekly Rundown: Riots Rage On in France, Brazil Assumes the Mercosur Presidency

Fans hold up Mexico and Brazil's national flags at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Insufficient domestic reforms and global economic headwinds will weigh on both countries, though Mexico will likely fare better than Brazil. 

Mexico and Brazil: What Lies Ahead for Latin America's Largest Economies

Germany

Italy

Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang on May 23, 2023, in Beijing. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on June 18 will visit Beijing to meet with Gang.

U.S.-China Relations

The Weekly Rundown: Blinken Visits Beijing, China's Premier Goes to Germany

What impact will the congressional inquiry have on broader policymaking in Brazil?

Essential Geopolitics: The Implications of Brazil's Jan. 8 Congressional Inquiry

<p>Larger in land mass than the contiguous United States, Brazil borders every country on the South American continent except Ecuador and Chile. Three features define Brazil&#39;s geography: the Amazon Basin, tropical savanna and the Brazilian Highlands. The Amazon River and rain forest, the world&#39;s largest, encompass most of northern Brazil and make this region inhospitable to agriculture and large populations. To its south lies the Cerrado, a vast tropical savanna. Advances in agricultural practices have allowed large-scale farming to thrive in this region. However, due to distance and geography, Brazil faces daunting challenges in getting agricultural commodities to international markets. The Brazilian Highlands and the narrow strip of land between the mountains and the coast are home to the majority of the country&#39;s 197 million people. Most of the country&#39;s economic activity occurs in this region. Brazil&#39;s geography largely shields it from external military threats. The Atlantic Ocean, the Amazon Basin and the buffer states of Bolivia, Paraguay and Uruguay insulate the country. Brazil&#39;s varied regions have made centralized control and integration difficult for the core states of Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and Minas Gerais. Infrastructure linking the coast and the interior, as well as connecting the various coastal cities is technically difficult and requires high levels of investment. Isolated from the rest of the continent both geographically and linguistically and lacking internal cohesion, Brazil has traditionally been inward looking. Brazil&#39;s primary geographic challenging is consolidating control over its vast peripheral territory and connecting these regions more efficiently with its population centers and ports.</p>

SITUATION REPORTS

EU, Americas: EU-Mercosur Trade Deal at Risk After Outgoing Argentine President's Rejection

Brazil: Brasilia to Join OPEC+, Flexing Fossil Fuel Might

Brazil, Venezuela, Guyana: Brazil Increases Northern Military Presence Ahead of Essequibo Referendum

EU, Americas: EU and Mercosur Countries Near Final Deal for Free Trade Agreement

Brazil: GM Caves to Strikes, Possibly Emboldening Other Labor Unions

EU, South America: Mercosur Gives EU Ultimatum to Finalize Trade Talks by December

EU, South America: Mercosur's Divisions Dampen Prospect of EU Trade Deal

Global: BRICS' Growth Will Attract Funds, Division

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