Cuba

United States

Venezuela

Russia

Economics

Military & Security

Politics

Unnamed U.S. officials said Russia is preparing to deploy aircraft and naval vessels to the Caribbean Sea in the coming weeks to conduct its first military exercises in the Western Hemisphere in five years, the Miami Herald reported on June 5.

Russia, U.S.: Russia Plans Naval, Air Exercises in Caribbean Sea

Ecuador

Haiti

Mexico

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security proposed a new process that would disqualify individuals seeking asylum earlier in the asylum request process, allowing authorities to expel migrants quickly if they have been convicted of dangerous crimes, according to a May 9 statement. 

U.S.: Government Announces New Process To Expedite Expulsion of Some Asylum Seekers

Eritrea

Nicaragua

Egypt

Iran

Saudi Arabia

Turkey

China

Norway

Belarus

Cyber

Environment, Science & Technology

Science & Technology

Reporters Without Borders published its 2024 World Press Freedom Index, indicating that suppression of journalists and political attacks on the press have "significantly intensified" in the last year, The Guardian reported on May 3.

Global: Press Freedom Declines Amid Pivotal Elections Around the World

United Arab Emirates

North Korea

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

U.S. government officials familiar with classified intelligence claimed that China had reached an agreement in principle with Cuba that would see Beijing pay Havana billions of dollars to allow China to establish a surveillance post on Cuba for monitoring communications in the southeast United States, just 100 miles from Cuba at the nearest point, the Wall Street Journal reported June 8.

U.S., China: China-Cuba Surveillance Agreement May Impede U.S.-China Talks

The United States and Cuba will hold high-level talks in Washington, D.C., on April 12 to discuss record-high migration flows from the island that have impacted the U.S.-Mexico border and resulted in the deaths of dozens of migrants who made the journey by sea to Florida, Reuters reported on April 10.

U.S., Cuba: Countries to Hold High-Level Migration Talks

Argentina

Belize

Bolivia

Brazil

Chile

Colombia

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

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador stated that the leftist governments of Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Cuba would join Mexico in launching a joint plan to curb food inflation, namely by removing tariffs to reduce the price of food items, Reuters reported March 2.

Latin America: Leftist Governments Push to Reduce Food Tariffs

Snapshots

El Salvador

Israel

Palestinian Territories

People attend a rally in support of Israel in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Oct. 22, 2023. 

Israel-Hamas Conflict

Social Issues

Anger over the conflict could temporarily strain Israel and the U.S.'s relations with left-wing governments in the region, while countries with large Jewish or Arab populations may see more security-related incidents.

Latin America's Response to the Israel-Hamas War 

Media

Ukraine

Podcasts

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

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?

A demonstrator holds up a sign in solidarity with protesters in Cuba outside the White House on July 18, 2021. 

Security

The U.S. and the Balance of Power

The Biden administration’s response to Havana's heavy-handed crackdown on recent protests could spook Western investors. 

U.S. Sanctions Dim Hopes for Cuba’s Economic Opening

An old American car passes by the capitol building in Havana, Cuba, on May 3, 2021. 

The move will help spur growth, but the continued state control of Cuba’s most lucrative sectors will impede investment. 

Cuba Legalizes Private Businesses, With Key Caveats

Assessments

Guidance

Uganda

Peru

Japan

Philippines

South Korea

India

A motorist passes a sign for the 8th Congress of the Cuban Communist Party on April 6, 2021, in Havana. The Party will convene April 16-19 against the backdrop of broader Cuban discontent over a deteriorating economic situation,

U.S.-Iran Relations

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

The Weekly Rundown: Economic Data From China and More Indirect U.S.-Iran Talks

Columns

On Geopolitics

Burundi

South Africa

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. 

U.S.-China Relations

Venezuela's Unraveling

Energy

Iran's Arc of Influence

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

In this episode of the Essential Geopolitics podcast from Stratfor, a RANE company, a conversation about crossroads. In the next three weeks, the Americas will experience three significant elections: The U.S. presidential election, a referendum to decide whether Chile will draft a new constitution, and a general election in Bolivia to elect a new president and congress.

Essential Geopolitics: The Americas at the Crossroads

Echoes of the Cold War

In this Pen and Sword podcast from Stratfor, a RANE company, Emily Donahue interviews Anthony DePalma, Author of "The Cubans: Ordinary Lives in Extraordinary Times."

Pen and Sword: The Cubans with Anthony DePalma

On Security

Russian and Venezuelan defense ministers meet in Moscow. 

Security Challenges in Latin America

As it seeks to counter U.S. interests in Latin America, Russia is turning to an old playbook. But instead of arming Marxist groups with weapons, this time Moscow's arming anti-government protesters with rhetoric.

Could There Be a Cold War Reboot in Latin America?

Former CIA Counterintelligence Chief James M. Olson and Stratfor Chief Security Officer Fred Burton sit down to discuss spycraft.

To Catch a Spy With Author James M. Olson

Opposition leader Juan Guaido arrives at a demonstration in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas. 

A failed uprising attempt could all but ensure an extended Maduro regime by limiting Washington's options for regime change, while bolstering those of the Caracas' allies.

Venezuela's Vying Suitors Update Their Game Plans

Cuba is the largest island in the Caribbean and separates the Gulf of Mexico from the Caribbean Sea. Forming the choke point for shipping routes out of the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, Cuba is a strategically significant territory in the Western Hemisphere.    Cuba lies in a subtropical humid zone with mostly flat geography that is well suited for agriculture, such as sugar, coffee and tobacco.    Havana is the political and economic core of Cuba, with more than 2 million people, or about 20 percent of the island's population. Rugged terrain to the southeast is dominated by the Sierra Maestra Mountains, which have historically been used by individuals seeking refuge from government control. It was from this region that the Cuban revolution of 1959 was planned and executed.    Cuba's major geographic challenge is its proximity and importance to the United States. Its location has repeatedly made the island a battleground in global affairs.The Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 was the pinnacle of conflict over Cuba, and since that time, U.S. policy has revolved around denying foreign powers military access to the island. In the wake of the Cold War, Cuba's close relationship with Venezuela has provided an important source of petroleum for the politically and economically isolated island.    Cuba is emerging from its communist economic model, but with limited resources and an underdeveloped industrial sector, it will take time for the country's economic model to evolve.

North America Unrivaled

SITUATION REPORTS

Russia, U.S.: Russia Plans Naval, Air Exercises in Caribbean Sea

U.S.: Government Announces New Process To Expedite Expulsion of Some Asylum Seekers

Global: Press Freedom Declines Amid Pivotal Elections Around the World

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

U.S., China: China-Cuba Surveillance Agreement May Impede U.S.-China Talks

U.S., Cuba: Countries to Hold High-Level Migration Talks

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

Latin America: Leftist Governments Push to Reduce Food Tariffs

Forecasts

ANALYSES

SECTIONS

Explore

Subscribe

Help & Support