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Strained government resources, increased organized crime, political tensions and supply chain disruptions are likely to rise in tandem with migration.

How Record Migration Will Impact Central America

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Cargo ships waiting to enter the Panama Canal are seen off the coast of Panama City on Aug. 23, 2023. 

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Environment, Science & Technology

Efforts to preserve the canal's low water levels have caused a traffic jam of cargo vessels, but the impact on shipping times and costs will be modest if the disruptions are short-lived.

Drought Restrictions at the Panama Canal Create Shipping Headaches

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A woman wearing a face mask holds the former flag of Belarus at an anti-government protest in Minsk on Aug. 14, 2020. 

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Rebalancing Power in the Middle East

Coping With a Nuclear North Korea

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China in Transition

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

The Weekly Rundown: Normalized UAE-Israel Ties, Mass Protests in Belarus

COVID-19

Security

Israel's Survival Strategy

2020 Second-Quarter Forecast

This geographically, culturally and politically diverse region is home to the United States, a nation whose geography helped it become the foremost economic and military power in the world

The Americas stretch from the Arctic Circle in Canada to the southern tip of Chile. This geographically, culturally and politically diverse region is home to the United States, a nation whose geography helped it become the foremost economic and military power in the world &mdash; an ascendance aided in part by bringing Mexico and Canada into its sphere of influence. Farther south, the nations of South America are like islands, separated by vast spaces of impenetrable mountains, rivers and jungles. Try though these countries may to integrate more closely, deeper ties such as those that characterize North America will prove elusive.

2020 Annual Forecast

2019 Fourth-Quarter Forecast

2019 Third-Quarter Forecast

2019 Second-Quarter Forecast

2019 Annual Forecast

2018 Fourth-Quarter Forecast

2018 Second-Quarter Forecast

2018 Annual Forecast

The Panama Canal Authority said it would lower the daily average number of ships crossing the canal from 35-36 to 32 starting July 30 in an effort to conserve water during a prolonged drought, Reuters reported on July 25.

Panama: Canal Authority to Restrict Daily Number of Cargo Ships

Barbados

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Uruguay

The United States and 11 other countries -- Barbados, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, Peru and Uruguay -- formally launched discussions on the Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity (APEP), according to a Jan. 27 joint declaration by the 12 countries.

Americas: 12 Countries Launch U.S.-Led Talks to Boost Economic Ties

Crossing Borders

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas began a two-day trip to Panama City to discuss coordinated efforts to curb the flow of illegal migration with representatives from 20 regional countries, Deutsche Welle reported April 19.

U.S., Panama: Meeting Pushes for Coordinated Control of Illegal Migration

Security Challenges in Latin America

Haiti

A record 42,000 migrants have attempted to cross a treacherous stretch of land between Colombia and Panama called the Darien Gap this year on their way to North America, Reuters reported July 28, citing Panamanian officials. 

U.S.: Panama Sees Flood of North-Bound Migrants Crossing the Darian Gap

Venezuela

The head of the Panama Canal Authority said it would not block vessels originating in Venezuelan ports from traversing the waterway, Reuters reported Aug. 14.

Panama: Canal Operator Says It Won't Block Passage of Vessels From Venezuela

Venezuela's Unraveling

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Globalization

South Korea's Trade Ministry said it will sign free trade agreements with five Central American countries, aimed at boosting access to the country's automotive and electronics sectors, Reuters reported Feb. 20. 

South Korea: Seoul To Sign Free Trade Agreements With 5 Central American Countries 

Sub-Saharan Africa

According to Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Steve Goldstein, U.S. Ambassador to Panama John Feeley submitted his resignation before U.S. President Donald Trump reportedly made derogatory comments about certain countries, Reuters reported Jan. 12.

U.S.: Ambassador To Panama Submitted Resignation Before Trump's Comments

U.S. Ambassador to Panama John Feeley announced he will retire in March after U.S. President Donald Trump reportedly made broadly derogatory comments about certain nations when expressing his disapproval of a bipartisan plan for immigration reform, Reuters reported Jan. 12.

U.S.: Ambassador To Panama Resigns Over Trump Comments

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A view of the Register in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

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Covering an area that spans the entire width of the continent beginning at the Sahara Desert and ending at the southernmost tip of South Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa is home to countless cultures, languages, religions, plants, animals and natural resources.

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The President palace in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan

The administrative center of the Gakh region of Azerbaijan, located at the foot of the southern slope of the Greater Caucasus, on the river Kurhumchai.

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Mir Castle in the Minsk region of Belarus.

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A horse grazes in front of Kara-Kul lake in the Chon-Ak-Suu valley, 300 kilometers southeast of Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan.

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Panama is a small Central American country located between Colombia and Costa Rica that serves as a key chokepoint for global trade. Home to the 50-mile Panama Canal, which connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans and shortens maritime shipping routes by thousands of miles, the country boasts a strategic importance that far outweighs its small size.     Foreign powers have utilized Panama's strategic location for centuries. The Spanish used the country to move valuable exports, such as gold, from the Pacific to the Atlantic, and France attempted and failed to build a canal there in the late 19th century. During that time, Panama was Colombia's northernmost province, but around the turn of the century, the United States had begun expanding its influence in the Caribbean and recognized Panama's potential importance to global trade. The United States helped Panamanian rebels secede from Colombia in 1903, and it completed the transoceanic Panama Canal within the following decade. It also heavily influenced the newly independent republic's internal affairs, directly controlling the land around the Panama Canal until 1979. Indeed, most of the country's population lives in the area formerly controlled by the United States.     Nearly 12,000 ships pass through the Panama Canal every year, including container vessels, energy tankers, bulk cargo ships and naval vessels. Many of the largest ships in the world, such as liquefied natural gas tankers, oil tankers and some container ships, cannot pass through the canal. But despite that challenge, Panama will remain geopolitically important because it is still one of the few routes by which ships can shorten their transit time between the oceans.

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SITUATION REPORTS

Panama: Canal Authority to Restrict Daily Number of Cargo Ships

Americas: 12 Countries Launch U.S.-Led Talks to Boost Economic Ties

U.S., Panama: Meeting Pushes for Coordinated Control of Illegal Migration

U.S.: Panama Sees Flood of North-Bound Migrants Crossing the Darian Gap

Panama: Canal Operator Says It Won't Block Passage of Vessels From Venezuela

South Korea: Seoul To Sign Free Trade Agreements With 5 Central American Countries

U.S.: Ambassador To Panama Submitted Resignation Before Trump's Comments

U.S.: Ambassador To Panama Resigns Over Trump Comments

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