Venezuela

Politics

Two more Venezuelan opposition parties will list Unitary Democratic Platform candidate Edmundo Gonzalez as their candidate in the July 28 presidential election after the country's electoral authority allowed them to do so, Reuters reported on April 23.

Venezuela: Opposition Unity Presidential Candidate To Appear on Multiple Parties' Ballot Slots

United States

Energy

The U.S. Treasury Department announced it would not renew a general license expiring on April 18 that significantly eased sanctions on Venezuela's oil sector, Reuters reported on April 17.

U.S., Venezuela: U.S. Reimposes Some Oil Sanctions on Venezuela

A U.S. State Department official said the United States would not renew a temporary license easing sanctions on Venezuela's hydrocarbon sector unless the government made progress on holding free and fair elections scheduled for July 28, Reuters reported on April 15.

U.S., Venezuela: Washington May Not Extend Sanctions Relief, but New License May Be Forthcoming

Venezuela's Attorney General Tarek William Saab announced that former Oil Minister Tareck El Aissami and former Finance Minister Simon Zerpa had been arrested on corruption charges, Bloomberg reported on April 9.

Venezuela: Former Oil and Finance Ministers Arrested on Corruption Charges

Economics

Venezuela's opposition Democratic Unity Table and A New Time parties accused the National Electoral Council, or CNE, of blocking their submission of Dr. Corina Yoris as their candidate for the July 28 presidential election, The San Diego Union-Tribune reported on March 23.

Venezuela: Opposition Parties Accuse Electoral Regulator of Blocking Candidate

At a press conference, the president of Venezuela's National Electoral Council announced that a presidential election will take place on July 28 and that presidential candidate applications will be accepted from March 21-25, El Comercio reported on March 4. 

Venezuela: Presidential Election Announced for July 28, Putting Opposition in Bind

Cuba

Iran

Saudi Arabia

Turkey

United Arab Emirates

China

North Korea

Russia

Environment, Science & Technology

Military & Security

Science & Technology

U.S. President Joe Biden will sign an executive order on Feb. 28 directing the Justice Department to establish regulations that prevent countries of concern from exploiting sensitive U.S. data, the White House said in a fact sheet published the same day.

U.S.: Executive Order Will Task DOJ With Establishing Data Protection Regulations

Venezuela's Foreign Ministry suspended the Caracas-based technical office of the U.N. high commissioner for human rights and demanded that the 13 staff members working there leave the country within 72 hours, Bloomberg reported on Feb. 15.

Venezuela: Maduro Government Expels Local U.N. Office

Assessments

Egypt

Australia

New Zealand

Philippines

South Korea

Europe

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

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

U.S.-China Relations

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

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

Snapshots

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

Brazil

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

Israel

Palestinian Territories

Hong Kong SAR, China

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.

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

Columns

On Security

Ecuador

Mexico

Syria

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?

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

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. 

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

Nicaragua

Ukraine

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?

<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: Opposition Unity Presidential Candidate To Appear on Multiple Parties' Ballot Slots

U.S., Venezuela: U.S. Reimposes Some Oil Sanctions on Venezuela

U.S., Venezuela: Washington May Not Extend Sanctions Relief, but New License May Be Forthcoming

Venezuela: Former Oil and Finance Ministers Arrested on Corruption Charges

Venezuela: Opposition Parties Accuse Electoral Regulator of Blocking Candidate

Venezuela: Presidential Election Announced for July 28, Putting Opposition in Bind

U.S.: Executive Order Will Task DOJ With Establishing Data Protection Regulations

Venezuela: Maduro Government Expels Local U.N. Office

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