United States

Venezuela

Military & Security

Politics

U.S. President Donald Trump posted on social media a video of a kinetic strike that killed three people on a boat in the southern Caribbean Sea, claiming the strike targeted "extraordinarily violent drug trafficking cartels and narcoterrorists," El Pais reported on Sept. 15.

U.S., Venezuela: Additional U.S. Strikes in Caribbean To Escalate Tensions With Venezuela

Guyana

Trinidad and Tobago

Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino threatened to conduct military action against Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago if the United States used these countries' territories to attack Venezuela, Deutsche Welle reported on Sept. 14.

U.S., Venezuela: Incidents To Fuel Tension in the Caribbean Amid U.S. Military Deployment

Equatorial Guinea

Gabon

Nigeria

Republic of the Congo

Algeria

Iran

Iraq

Kuwait

Libya

Saudi Arabia

United Arab Emirates

Russia

Economics

Energy

On Sept. 7, OPEC+ agreed to increase its oil production quota by 137,000 barrels per day in October, though it did not publish any guidance on production levels beyond October.

OPEC+: Bloc To Lift Oil Production Further in October

Two Venezuelan F-16 fighter jets flew over a U.S. Navy destroyer in the Caribbean, which the Pentagon described as a highly provocative act, Reuters reported Sept. 5.

Americas: Venezuelan Jets Fly Over U.S. Warships as Tensions in Caribbean Escalate

Americas

Mexico

U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters on Sept. 2 that the U.S. military conducted a strike against a boat carrying drugs in the Caribbean Sea after it departed Venezuela, Bloomberg reported the same day.

Americas: Trump Announces U.S. Strike Against Drug Vessel in Caribbean Sea

The United States will deploy air and naval forces to the southern Caribbean Sea to fight Latin American cartels designated as terrorist organizations, Reuters reported on Aug. 14.

U.S., Venezuela: U.S. Military Deployment To Disrupt Drug Trafficking, Pressure Venezuela

The United States will partially restore a license allowing Chevron to resume operations in Venezuela, The Wall Street Journal reported on July 24.

U.S., Venezuela: U.S. To Allow Chevron To Resume Oil Operations in Venezuela

Argentina

Brazil

Paraguay

Uruguay

Liechtenstein

Norway

Switzerland

Iceland

South America's Mercosur trade bloc and the European Free Trade Association, or EFTA, finalized a free trade agreement that will cover 97% of shipments between the entities, Reuters reported on July 2. 

South America, Europe: Mercosur- EFTA Free Trade Agreement Finalized Amid U.S. Protectionism

Assessments

The U.S. Navy warship USS Sampson docks at the Amador International Cruise Terminal in Panama City on Aug. 30, 2025. 

While further kinetic operations against Venezuelan drug trafficking groups are probable, the Trump administration's pressure campaign against Caracas is unlikely to escalate into a U.S. invasion or seriously threaten the Maduro regime.

Assessing U.S. Military Activity in the Caribbean and What It Means for Venezuela

Bolivia

Canada

Lebanon

Indonesia

Japan

Singapore

South Korea

Vietnam

Europe

The Geopolitics of Trade

Global Trade

Mercosur is increasingly opening its markets in pursuit of free trade agreements with partners around the world, particularly as U.S. protectionism shifts global trade dynamics.

The Geopolitics of Trade: What Changing Trade Dynamics Mean for Mercosur

Belize

Chile

Colombia

Costa Rica

Cuba

Dominican Republic

Ecuador

El Salvador

Guatemala

Haiti

Honduras

Nicaragua

Panama

Peru

Suriname

China

(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. 

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

The Peace Monument sculpture is seen in front of the PDVSA headquarters in Caracas, Venezuela, on Dec. 2, 2022. 

The return of stricter U.S. sanctions will harm Venezuela's oil and gas industry, undermine its economy and fuel migration, but is unlikely to weaken President Maduro's hold on power in the short to medium term.

What Trump's Policy Shifts Mean for Venezuela

Sub-Saharan Africa

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Ethiopia

Tanzania

Israel

Jordan

Palestinian Territories

Syria

Yemen

Cambodia

North Macedonia

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Serbia

Albania

Kosovo

Ukraine

South Asia

Afghanistan

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

Ghana

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

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

United Kingdom

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

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

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

Philippines

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

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

<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

U.S., Venezuela: Additional U.S. Strikes in Caribbean To Escalate Tensions With Venezuela

U.S., Venezuela: Incidents To Fuel Tension in the Caribbean Amid U.S. Military Deployment

OPEC+: Bloc To Lift Oil Production Further in October

Americas: Venezuelan Jets Fly Over U.S. Warships as Tensions in Caribbean Escalate

Americas: Trump Announces U.S. Strike Against Drug Vessel in Caribbean Sea

U.S., Venezuela: U.S. Military Deployment To Disrupt Drug Trafficking, Pressure Venezuela

U.S., Venezuela: U.S. To Allow Chevron To Resume Oil Operations in Venezuela

South America, Europe: Mercosur- EFTA Free Trade Agreement Finalized Amid U.S. Protectionism

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