United States

Venezuela

Economics

Military & Security

Politics

U.S. President Donald Trump's crisis negotiator, Richard Grenell, met with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela on Jan. 31, after which Venezuelan authorities released six detained U.S. nationals and agreed to receive deported undocumented Venezuelan migrants from the United States, the Financial Times reported on Feb. 1.

Venezuela: Government Frees U.S. Prisoners, Agrees To Receive Deportees

Brazil

Colombia

Venezuela closed its border with Brazil and mobilized 150,000 soldiers for military exercises, El Pais reported on Jan. 23.

Venezuela: Border Tensions Unlikely To Escalate to Full-Blown Crises

Maria Corina Machado, the de-facto leader of Venezuela's political opposition, was briefly arrested on Jan. 9 after attending an anti-government demonstration in Caracas, AFP has reported. 

Venezuela: Opposition Leader Temporarily Arrested on Eve of Maduro's Inauguration

Venezuela's government arrested seven foreigners, including two U.S. citizens, claiming they were mercenaries involved in a terrorist plot, Reuters reported on Jan. 7. 

Venezuela: Repression and Unrest Risks To Increase Ahead of Presidential Inauguration

Argentina

Venezuelan opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez will meet with Argentina's President Javier Milei on Jan. 4 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, ahead of the planned Jan. 10 inauguration of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro for his third term in Caracas, El Pais reported on Jan. 2.

Venezuela: Opposition Leader Edmundo Gonzalez Returns to South America, Fueling Unrest Risks

Cuba

Iran

China

North Korea

Russia

Cyber

Environment, Science & Technology

Science & Technology

The U.S. Department of Justice finalized rules to ban companies from selling sensitive bulk personal data of American citizens to foreign adversarial countries in an effort to combat a range of malicious activities, according to a press release published on Dec. 27. 

U.S.: Government Finalizes Rules Banning Bulk Data Sale to Adversaries

The Venezuelan government announced the release of 103 opposition protesters arrested at anti-government rallies contesting the July 28 presidential election, El Pais reported on Dec. 13.

Venezuela: Government Frees Some Political Prisoners Ahead of Maduro's Third Term

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Equatorial Guinea

Gabon

Nigeria

Algeria

Iraq

Kuwait

Libya

Saudi Arabia

United Arab Emirates

Energy

OPEC+ countries agreed to delay the phase-out of 2.2 million barrels of oil per day of production cuts from Jan. 1, 2025, until April 1 and to phase those cuts out over 18 months instead of the originally planned 12 months, Argus Media reported on Dec. 5. 

OPEC+: Members To Delay Boosting Oil Production for Third Time

Assessments

Ghana

Lebanon

South Korea

Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro waits for the arrival of other heads of state of members of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America regional trading bloc during the XXIV ALBA-TCP Summit in Caracas, Venezuela, on Dec. 14, 2024. 

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

The Weekly Rundown: Inaugurations in Ghana and Venezuela, Yoon's Potential Arrest in South Korea

Americas

Chile

El Salvador

Guatemala

Honduras

Mexico

Nicaragua

U.S. border patrol officials drive near the wall along the Mexican border in Sasabe, Arizona, on Dec. 8, 2023. 

The fallout from Trump's pledged tariffs and mass deportations could worsen living conditions in countries like Mexico, though countries with like-minded leaders, like Argentina, may fare better.

What Trump's Focus on Immigration, Trade and Ideology Means for Latin America

Israel

United Kingdom

Bangladesh

Nicolas Maduro on Aug. 7, 2024, in Caracas, Venezuela. The presidents of Brazil, Colombia and Mexico, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Gustavo Petro and Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, respectively, are considering a call with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Aug. 12 in a bid to promote negotiations with the opposition to cool the risk of further violent unrest.

Israel-Hamas Conflict

Social Issues

The Weekly Rundown: Awaiting Iranian Retaliation, Bangladesh's New Government

Palestinian Territories

Australia

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris listens as President Joe Biden speaks during a Women's History Month reception in the White House on March 18, 2024.

The Weekly Rundown: Escalation in the Middle East, Kamala Harris' VP Pick

Snapshots

Venezuelan President and presidential candidate Nicolas Maduro reacts following the presidential election results in Caracas on July 29, 2024.

The Venezuelan president's highly disputed electoral victory will fuel political volatility, U.S. sanctions and risks of unrest and emigration in the coming months.

What Maduro Clinging To Power Means for Venezuela

Kenya

Uganda

Japan

Philippines

India

A motorcyclist looks at his phone in front of a National Electoral Council poster promoting the upcoming presidential election in Caracas, Venezuela, on July 23, 2024.

Global Elections

The Weekly Rundown: An Election in Venezuela, Economic Reforms in the U.K.

South Africa

Europe

Ukraine

U.S. President Joe Biden speaks during a press conference at the 75th NATO Summit in Washington, D.C., on July 11, 2024. 

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

U.S.-China Relations

U.S.-Iran Relations

Biden's exit from the U.S. presidential race will free him to pursue more aggressive action against Russia over Ukraine and increase pressure on Israel to end its war with Hamas. 

What To Expect from Biden's Foreign Policy Farewell Tour

A member of Venezuela’s national guard walks past the information center of the country’s National Electoral Council (CNE) in Caracas on July 16, 2024, ahead of the upcoming presidential election.

Maduro will likely win another term in an election widely seen as a sham, increasing the risk of economically damaging U.S. sanctions that could drive more Venezuelans to leave the country.

Previewing Venezuela's Presidential Election

Egypt

New Zealand

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on March 14, 2024, at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland.

The Weekly Rundown: Dueling U.S. and Chinese Diplomacy, a European Council Summit

Maria Corina Machado, the leading opposition candidate in Venezuela's 2024 presidential race, speaks to supporters during a rally in Caracas on Jan. 23, 2024. 

The move to bar Machado from the 2024 presidential race could see the U.S. reimpose harsh sanctions on Caracas, but this is unlikely to keep Maduro from quelching threats to his power.

In Venezuela, an Opposition Candidate's Disqualification Dims Hopes for Free and Fair Elections

Media

Guyana

Graphics

Venezuelan lawmaker Pedro Carreno (L) delivers a speech while Venezuelan deputy Diosdado Cabello (R) holds a map showing the border between Venezuela and Guyana during a legislative session in Caracas on Jan. 8, 2019.

Venezuela is ramping up border operations as it prepares to pursue its territorial claims on Guyana's Essequibo region.

Venezuela's Reach for Guyana's Territory

A man on a motorcycle rides past a mural in Caracas, Venezuela, campaigning for a referendum on annexing the Guyana-administered region of Essequibo on Nov. 28, 2023. 

Caracas will likely use the referendum results to drum up political support ahead of the 2024 presidential election, but it remains unlikely to launch a full-scale invasion of its eastern neighbor.

Venezuelan Voters Back Referendum Over Region Disputed With Guyana

<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>

Venezuela's Unraveling

Commodities: A Cautionary Tale

A Crude Recovery

SITUATION REPORTS

Venezuela: Government Frees U.S. Prisoners, Agrees To Receive Deportees

Venezuela: Border Tensions Unlikely To Escalate to Full-Blown Crises

Venezuela: Opposition Leader Temporarily Arrested on Eve of Maduro's Inauguration

Venezuela: Repression and Unrest Risks To Increase Ahead of Presidential Inauguration

Venezuela: Opposition Leader Edmundo Gonzalez Returns to South America, Fueling Unrest Risks

U.S.: Government Finalizes Rules Banning Bulk Data Sale to Adversaries

Venezuela: Government Frees Some Political Prisoners Ahead of Maduro's Third Term

OPEC+: Members To Delay Boosting Oil Production for Third Time

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