Guyana

Venezuela

Military & Security

Politics

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro announced via state television the construction of 120 homes to benefit the "Esequibano-Venezuelan people," Infobae reported on Dec. 7.

Venezuela, Guyana: Venezuela To Build Homes in Disputed Territory

United States

Energy

Venezuelan authorities arrested a member of the team responsible for planning the opposition's October primaries on Dec. 6, alleging treason, conspiracy and money laundering, Reuters reported the next day.

Venezuela: Government Issues Arrest Warrants for Opposition Members

Economics

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro submitted a law to the legislature on Dec. 5 to incorporate Guyana's Essequibo territory as a new state, Bloomberg reported the next day.

Venezuela, Guyana: President Maduro Announces New Measures in Essequibo Region

Brazil

Brazil's Ministry of Defense announced that it "intensified defensive actions" in the country's northern border region and is "monitoring the situation" in Guyana's Essequibo region, which Venezuela also claims, Reuters reported on Nov. 29.

Brazil, Venezuela, Guyana: Brazil Increases Northern Military Presence Ahead of Essequibo Referendum

Paraguay

The Paraguayan Foreign Ministry announced the reestablishment of diplomatic ties with Venezuela, Reuters reported on Nov. 15.

Paraguay, Venezuela: Countries Restore Diplomatic Ties

On Nov. 14, the International Court of Justice will hear oral arguments regarding provisional measures submitted by Guyanese officials who are trying to prevent Venezuela's Dec. 3 non-binding referendum on the future of the Essequibo region from taking place, according to a resolution published by the Guyanese National Assembly on Nov. 11.

Venezuela, Guyana: Tensions Mount Ahead of Venezuela's December Referendum Over Essequibo

Colombia

Colombia's government said armed members of the guerilla group National Liberation Army, or ELN, kidnapped the parents of international soccer player Luis Diaz in the La Guajira department on Oct. 28, AP reported on Nov. 2.

Colombia: ELN Captures Parents of Famous Soccer Player, Raising Doubts of 'Total Peace'

Venezuela’s Supreme Court suspended the results of the Oct. 22 opposition presidential primary, where Maria Corina Machado won 93% of the vote, Reuters reported on Oct. 30.

Venezuela: Supreme Court Annuls Opposition Primary Results, Threatening Deal With U.S.

Media

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

Assessments

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

Israel

Palestinian Territories

Hong Kong SAR, China

China

Europe

A photo taken from southern Israel near the border with the Gaza Strip shows a rocket being fired from inside Gaza toward Israel, as fighting resumed between the Israeli forces and Hamas militants after a temporary cease-fire expired on Dec. 1, 2023.

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

The Weekly Rundown: The Gaza War Resumes, Venezuela Votes on Guyana Dispute

Columns

On Security

Ecuador

Mexico

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. 

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?

Nigeria

Egypt

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.

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

Podcasts

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?

(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

Venezuela's Unraveling

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

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.

The Ukraine Conflict

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?

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

Australia

Taiwan

Germany

Belarus

Iran

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

<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>

Commodities: A Cautionary Tale

A Crude Recovery

SITUATION REPORTS

Venezuela, Guyana: Venezuela To Build Homes in Disputed Territory

Venezuela: Government Issues Arrest Warrants for Opposition Members

Venezuela, Guyana: President Maduro Announces New Measures in Essequibo Region

Brazil, Venezuela, Guyana: Brazil Increases Northern Military Presence Ahead of Essequibo Referendum

Paraguay, Venezuela: Countries Restore Diplomatic Ties

Venezuela, Guyana: Tensions Mount Ahead of Venezuela's December Referendum Over Essequibo

Colombia: ELN Captures Parents of Famous Soccer Player, Raising Doubts of 'Total Peace'

Venezuela: Supreme Court Annuls Opposition Primary Results, Threatening Deal With U.S.

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