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On Security

Ecuador

Mexico

Venezuela

Syria

North Korea

Belgium

Netherlands

Seized marijuana bricks are incinerated in Guadalajara, Mexico.

While narco-states exist on a spectrum of severity, they can all have dramatic geopolitical, operational and tactical impacts that raise a wide variety of risks.

What Is a Narco-State, and Why Does It Matter?

Snapshots

Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido gestures during the installation of the National Parliament for the legislative period 2022-2023 in Caracas, Venezuela, on Jan. 5, 2022. 

Politics

The fracturing of the opposition will weaken its ability to secure concessions from the Maduro regime to ensure the country's 2024 election is free and fair.

The Venezuelan Opposition Votes to Oust Guaido's Interim Government. What Now?

Assessments

Nigeria

Egypt

Palestinian Territories

Turkey

France

United Kingdom

A supporter of the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela waves the flag of Venezuela on Jan. 10, 2022, in Barinas, Venezuela. The four major political parties that comprise Venezuela's opposition coalition will vote Dec. 29 on a motion to eliminate the country's interim government.

Economics

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

The Weekly Rundown: Venezuela's Opposition Votes to Oust Guaido, Christmas Brings Currency to the Middle East

Media

Podcasts

Energy

Listen to learn what will come from negotiations between Venezuela's government and the opposition interim government.

Essential Geopolitics: How Will Venezuela's Renewed Negotiations Process Play Out?

United States

(From left to right) U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinkin, U.S. President Joe Biden and U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin meet with Colombian President Ivan Duque at the White House on March 10, 2022, following a recent meeting between U.S. and Venezuelan officials where the possibility of easing oil sanctions was discussed. 

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

The U.S. and the Balance of Power

The fallout from sanctions on Russia is forcing Washington to mull easing pressure on the government in Caracas it's been trying to oust for years.

In Venezuela, the U.S. Puts Politics Aside to Unlock More Oil Exports

Venezuela's Unraveling

Cuba

Nicaragua

Ukraine

Russia

The Fight for Russia’s Borderlands

Are Russia's claims of increased cooperation with Latin America's authoritarian governments credible?

Essential Geopolitics: Russia Makes Moves in the U.S. Backyard

People walk past a mural of the Venezuelan and Russian flags that reads "Together we will defeat COVID-19" in Caracas, Venezuela, on March 4, 2021.

Military & Security

Amid ongoing tensions in Ukraine, Moscow will use its ties with Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua to illustrate its geopolitical influence in the U.S.'s own backyard. 

Is Russia’s Renewed Outreach to Latin America All for Show?

The Ukraine Conflict

Colombia

In this podcast, we discuss how Colombia's low-level but persistent conflict against insurgent groups will continue.

Essential Geopolitics: Colombian Rebel Groups in 2022

On Geopolitics

Ethiopia

Argentina

Hong Kong SAR, China

Australia

China

Taiwan

Germany

Belarus

Iran

Israel

Saudi Arabia

United Arab Emirates

Afghanistan

A compilation of four photos (from left to right) shows a COVID-19 vaccine, U.S. President Joe Biden, the logo of the Chinese telecommunications company Huawei, and a stock market sign. 

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

Grading Our 2021 Annual Forecast as 2022 Approaches

Guidance

Chile

Austria

Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, the crown prince of Abu Dhabi, during an official welcoming Oct. 15, 2019, in the Emirati capital's Al-Watan presidential palace. Mohammed will possibly meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Nov. 24 

Environment, Science & Technology

Southeast Asia: Burdened by Consensus

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

The Weekly Rundown: Lockdowns Return to Europe, an Emirati-Turkish Meeting

COVID-19

Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido (center) speaks during a press conference at a park in Caracas on June 30, 2021.

While Maduro’s regime is unlikely to agree to free and fair elections, the opposition may be able to secure smaller concessions, like prisoner releases.

In Venezuela-Opposition Talks, the Prospects for Progress Are Low 

Burundi

South Africa

El Salvador

Myanmar

Europe

Iraq

U.S. President Joe Biden speaks about the situation in Myanmar following the recent military coup in Washington D.C. on Feb. 10, 2021. 

Globalization

Coping With a Nuclear North Korea

Russia's Internal Struggle

Amid talk of new U.S. sanctions on Myanmar and Russia, we review what factors make such penalties most effective in actually altering a country’s behavior.

Reviewing the Role and Effectiveness of Sanctions

U.S.-China Relations

Iran's Arc of Influence

The government of Colombian President Gustavo Petro expelled Juan Guaido, the former leader of Venezuela's opposition interim government, from the country after Guaido unexpectedly traveled to Colombia in an attempt to take part in an international summit, El Tiempo reported on April 24.

Venezuela: Colombia Expelled Juan Guaido After Surprise Visit

Belize

Bolivia

Brazil

Honduras

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

The leaders of Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Honduras, Mexico, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Venezuela met virtually and agreed to take steps to facilitate commercial trade, La Jornada reported April 5.

Latin America: Left-Wing Governments Ally to Reduce Food Inflation

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and Colombian President Gustavo Petro reactivated a bilateral trade agreement on Feb. 16 that they first signed in 2011, DW News reported Feb. 17.

Colombia, Venezuela: Countries Reactivate Trade Agreement, but Economic Boost Will Be Small Initially

The Venezuelan opposition coalition voted to eliminate Juan Guaido's interim government in its entirety, DW News reported Dec. 21.

Venezuela: Opposition Ousts Interim President Guaido Ahead of 2024 Elections

Several unnamed senior officials in Venezuela said their opposition coalition is considering dropping its support for Juan Guaido as the interim president, stating that three of the four main opposition parties (Justice First, Democratic Action and A New Time) are in favor of the move, the Financial Times reported Oct 20.

Venezuela: Opposition Groups Consider Dropping Support of Interim President

Colombia and Venezuela reopened their shared border to the flow of goods, services and people, El Tiempo reported Sept. 26.

Colombia, Venezuela: Governments Reopen Shared Border

Spain

Italy

Venezuela's state-owned oil and natural gas company PDVSA suspended crude shipments under oil-for-debt swaps with two European oil companies (Italy's Eni and Spain's Repsol), Reuters reported Aug. 12.

Venezuela: PDVSA Halts Oil-for-Debt Swaps, Advocates for Fuel Swaps

A French government official told Reuters on June 27 that Iranian and Venezuelan oil should be considered viable alternatives to Russian oil amid high global energy prices.

France: Government Says Iranian, Venezuelan Oil Should Be Considered as Alternative to Russia

Algeria

Antigua and Barbuda

Luxembourg

South Sudan

A view of the Register in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

Angola

Armenia

Bahrain

Lithuania

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.

Barbados

Benin

Maldives

Malta

Botswana

Brunei Darussalam

India

North Macedonia

Tajikistan

Bhutan

Burkina Faso

Cambodia

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.

Finland

Nepal

Cameroon

Canada

Georgia

Jordan

Pakistan

Mir Castle in the Minsk region of Belarus.

Cabo Verde

Federated States of Micronesia

Kuwait

Liechtenstein

Sri Lanka

Central African Republic

Fiji

Latvia

Lebanon

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Chad

Costa Rica

Indonesia

Libya

Comoros

Czech Republic

Japan

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

Morocco

Cote d'Ivoire

Denmark

Dominica

Kiribati

Moldova

Oman

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Dominican Republic

Laos

Djibouti

Holy See (Vatican City)

Malaysia

Qatar

Equatorial Guinea

Greece

Marshall Islands

Eritrea

Grenada

Mongolia

<p>Located in South America, Venezuela is bordered by Colombia, the Caribbean Sea, Guyana and Brazil. Colonized by the Spanish in the 16th century, Venezuela became an independent country in 1830. The northern portion of Venezuela is dominated by the eastern spur of the northern Andes. The mountains are cooler than the surrounding subtropical plains and host the majority of Venezuela&#39;s population. The country&#39;s core includes Lake Valencia and Caracas. Since the late 19th century, oil has been the driving force behind Venezuela&#39;s political and economic affairs. The first discoveries were made in the Maracaibo basin, and later discoveries revealed heavy, sour crude deposits in the Orinoco basin. The tropical Orinoco basin is largely unpopulated, with little significant infrastructure. Just to the south are the Guiana Highlands, which buffer Venezuela from the jungles of the Amazon River basin. As a Caribbean country, Venezuela lies within the direct sphere of influence of the United States. The United States is not only the largest military power in the region, but also the largest consumer market and a key destination for Venezuelan crude oil exports. As a result, Venezuela&#39;s primary geographic challenge is managing its relations with the United States. Venezuela has throughout history used its relationship with the United States to attract the foreign investment and technological development that resulted in the country&#39;s well-developed oil sector. But relations between the two countries don&#39;t always match the economic reality. Former Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez built domestic and foreign policies around rejecting U.S. influence.</p>

SITUATION REPORTS

Venezuela: Colombia Expelled Juan Guaido After Surprise Visit

Latin America: Left-Wing Governments Ally to Reduce Food Inflation

Colombia, Venezuela: Countries Reactivate Trade Agreement, but Economic Boost Will Be Small Initially

Venezuela: Opposition Ousts Interim President Guaido Ahead of 2024 Elections

Venezuela: Opposition Groups Consider Dropping Support of Interim President

Colombia, Venezuela: Governments Reopen Shared Border

Venezuela: PDVSA Halts Oil-for-Debt Swaps, Advocates for Fuel Swaps

France: Government Says Iranian, Venezuelan Oil Should Be Considered as Alternative to Russia

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