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Hurricane Melissa caused severe floods and power outages in Jamaica and Cuba, CNN reported on Oct. 29.

Caribbean: Hurricane Melissa Causes Severe Floods and Damages in Jamaica and Cuba

Colombia

Ecuador

Mexico

United States

Venezuela

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that the U.S. military struck two alleged drug vessels in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Oct. 21 and 22, killing several alleged drug smugglers, Reuters reported on Oct. 22.

U.S., Latin America: U.S. Military Strikes Against Drug Traffickers Expand to Pacific Ocean

Politics

Haitian electoral council president Jacques Desrosiers said on Oct. 22 that Haiti will not be able to hold a general election before the end of the transitional presidential council's mandate on Feb. 7, 2026, Reuters reported the same day.

Haiti: Government Confirms Elections Will Not Occur Before February Deadline

The U.N. Security Council approved a U.S. proposal to transition the Multinational Security Support mission in Haiti to combat armed gangs to a "Gang Suppression Force" that would increase the mandated number of personnel from 2,500 to 5,500, Reuters reported on Sept. 30.

Haiti: U.N. Security Council Approves Larger Security Force Deployment to Haiti

Executive director of the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime Ghada Fathi Waly told the U.N. Security Council that Haiti's gangs have "near-total control" of the capital Port-au-Prince, holding an estimated 90% of the city, AP reported on July 2.

Haiti: U.N. Reports Haitian Gangs Have 'Near-Total Control' of Port-au-Prince

Burundi

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U.S. President Donald Trump signed a ban barring citizens from 12 countries from traveling to the United States, with the order set to take effect on June 9, The New York Times reported on June 4.

U.S.: Trump Administration Issues New Travel Ban

The U.S. government is considering deploying Latin American peacekeeping troops to Haiti to help combat extreme gang violence if Russia and China veto the deployment of U.N. peacekeepers, the Financial Times reported on May 13.

Haiti, U.S.: Washington Considers Organization of American States Deployment to Haiti 

Saint Lucia

China

China, Latin America, Caribbean: Beijing to Boost Credit, Investment, and Regional Ties After China-CELAC Forum

Assessments

Belize

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Honduras

Trinidad and Tobago

A U.S. Marine V-22 Osprey takes off from Jose Aponte de la Torre Airport, formerly Roosevelt Roads Naval Station, on Sept. 13, 2025, in Ceiba, Puerto Rico. 

The Trump administration will likely expand its attacks against alleged drug traffickers in the region over the next year, potentially extending to land-based targets, which will create safety, operational and compliance challenges for organizations.

The Outlook for U.S. Strikes on Drug Traffickers in Latin America and the Caribbean

Argentina

Bolivia

Brazil

Chile

Costa Rica

Guyana

Nicaragua

Panama

Paraguay

Peru

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Uruguay

(L-R) Colombian Foreign Minister Laura Sarabia, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Honduran Foreign Minister Eduardo Enrique Reina attend a plenary session of the China-CELAC ministerial meeting at the Great Hall of the People on May 13, 2025, in Beijing, China. 

Global Trade

Latin America and the Caribbean will welcome China's increased engagement, but strong ties to the West and China's economic slowdown will limit Beijing's influence in the region.

Despite Stronger Trade Ties, China's Influence in Latin America Will Remain Limited

Sub-Saharan Africa

Democratic Republic of the Congo

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Bangladesh

India

The lobby of the headquarters for the U.S. Agency for International Development is seen on Feb. 3, 2025, in Washington, D.C. 

Social Issues

Cuts to U.S.-funded humanitarian and development programs could worsen global health outcomes, destabilize security environments, accelerate democratic backsliding, and create opportunities for rival powers to expand their influence.

The Global Implications of Trump's Foreign Aid Cuts

Kenya

U.S. President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden pose with Kenyan President William Ruto (center), alongside his wife and children, as they arrive for a State Dinner at the White House on May 23, 2024. 

For Kenya, stronger ties with the U.S. could unlock new investment and diplomatic opportunities, but bilateral relations could weaken if Nairobi draws down its police deployment in Haiti, or if Trump reenters the White House.

What To Expect From Stronger U.S.-Kenya Ties

Snapshots

A Haitian police officer controls the area around the country's National Palace in Port-au-Prince on May 1, 2024.

The reversal in the transitional council's appointment of a new prime minister highlights political tensions within the governing body, indicating risks of further political instability and violence in the coming months.

Disputes Over a Prime Minister Appointment Bode Ill for Haiti's Stability

A woman carrying a child runs from an area in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, after hearing gunshots on March 20, 2024.

The Caribbean nation's humanitarian and security crises are set to worsen in the weeks ahead, as gangs seize more territory and the U.N.-backed security deployment faces delays.

In Haiti, Weeks of Extreme Gang Violence Show No Sign of Easing

Senegal

France

Chinese President Xi Jinping on March 11, 2024, in Beijing.

U.S.-China Relations

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

The Weekly Rundown: Senegalese Presidential Elections, Xi Meets With U.S. CEOs

A protester burns tires during a demonstration in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on March 12, 2024, after Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry announced his plans to resign. 

For Kenya, sending police officers to the gang-ridden Caribbean country will likely help it boost ties with the West if the mission is a success, but it risks triggering public backlash at home.

What a Planned Police Deployment to Haiti Means for Kenya

Haitian police officers deploy in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on March 9, 2024. 

The government's political transition plan is unlikely to improve the gang-ridden country's deteriorating security crisis, while the potential deployment of U.N.-backed troops may temporarily make it worse.

What's Happening in Haiti?

Media

Podcasts

What is behind Haiti's violent protests, and what do they mean for the country going forward?

Essential Geopolitics: The Implications of Ongoing Violent Unrest in Haiti

A man adds wood to a fire burning in the streets of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on Oct. 3 amid protests demanding the resignation of Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry. 

Haiti's political, criminal and economic crises will have broader impacts on the region.

Haiti Descends Deeper Into Chaos as Protests Continue

Ariel Henry speaks as he becomes prime minister of Haiti on July 20, 2021, in the capital of Port-au-Prince. Rival claims to Haiti's government would undermine the legitimacy of the electoral process, the economy and the country's security situation.

Rival claims to Haiti's government would undermine the legitimacy of the electoral process, the economy and the country's security situation.

Haiti's Prime Minister Appears to Reject a Transitional Government, Portending Turmoil

Haiti is a small island nation cursed by geography. It is part of the island of Hispaniola, located west of the Dominican Republic. Haiti is a very poor country, the poorest in the Western Hemisphere according to some estimates. Like many other Caribbean states, Haiti began as a European colony and developed after independence in isolation from its neighbors. The modern state of Haiti occupies a geographic area roughly the same as it did at independence.     Haiti owes its existence to the French empire's demand for sugar, which led to centuries of sugar agriculture on the island. To farm the sugar cane, the French imported tens of thousands of slaves from West Africa. It was from these slaves that the modern Haitian nation was born. Haitian slaves rebelled against their masters in 1791, kicking off a decade of insurgency against the French. The revolution ended in 1804 with the expulsion of French forces and Haiti's independence.    Because it lacks profitable minerals (and because the rich aristocracy was destroyed during the violent revolution), Haiti has historically had problems generating capital. The country's origins as a source of sugar and other commodities made it dependent on agriculture for most of its history. The country's mountainous interior made it difficult to conduct profitable agricultural activity. Haiti lies in the United States' near abroad, but its economic development is minimal and its foreign trade remains small by global standards.    Haiti's biggest contemporary challenge is poverty. Haiti was isolated from global trade after its slave rebellion by European powers and the United States, who refused to trade with the newly independent state. During the 20th century, Haiti's persistently chaotic politics led to a temporary U.S. occupation but little in the way of economic development. Not surprisingly, people leave the island in droves every year. Historically, hundreds of thousands of migrants have resettled in the United States, though they are now arriving in South America in larger numbers because of stricter U.S. immigration regulations.

SITUATION REPORTS

Caribbean: Hurricane Melissa Causes Severe Floods and Damages in Jamaica and Cuba

U.S., Latin America: U.S. Military Strikes Against Drug Traffickers Expand to Pacific Ocean

Haiti: Government Confirms Elections Will Not Occur Before February Deadline

Haiti: U.N. Security Council Approves Larger Security Force Deployment to Haiti

Haiti: U.N. Reports Haitian Gangs Have 'Near-Total Control' of Port-au-Prince

U.S.: Trump Administration Issues New Travel Ban

Haiti, U.S.: Washington Considers Organization of American States Deployment to Haiti

China, Latin America, Caribbean: Beijing to Boost Credit, Investment, and Regional Ties After China-CELAC Forum

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