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The Biden administration notified Congress of its intent to lift the U.S. designation of Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism as part of a deal the Catholic Church facilitated and that includes Havana freeing 553 political prisoners by Jan. 20, Reuters reported Jan. 15.

U.S., Cuba: U.S. Congress Under Trump Unlikely to Confirm Biden's Removal of Cuba From Terrorist List  

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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

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The BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, adopted its summit declaration, which noted the creation of a BRICS "partner country" status, Reuters reported on Oct. 23.

BRICS: Bloc Creates Partner Status, Extends Status to 13 Countries

Energy

Cuba recorded four countrywide blackouts between Oct. 18 and Oct. 20, Reuters reported Oct 21.

Cuba: Countrywide Blackouts Show Collapsing Economy but Unlikely to Fuel Political Instability 

Economics

Military & Security

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

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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

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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

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

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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

Argentina

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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

Snapshots

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

Israel-Hamas Conflict

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

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

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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

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On Geopolitics

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U.S. President Joe Biden speaks about the situation in Myanmar following the recent military coup in Washington D.C. on Feb. 10, 2021. 

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Venezuela's Unraveling

Iran's Arc of Influence

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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?

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

U.S., Cuba: U.S. Congress Under Trump Unlikely to Confirm Biden's Removal of Cuba From Terrorist List

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

BRICS: Bloc Creates Partner Status, Extends Status to 13 Countries

Cuba: Countrywide Blackouts Show Collapsing Economy but Unlikely to Fuel Political Instability

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

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