United States

Venezuela

Military & Security

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced on social media that the United States is launching military operation "Southern Spear" to target narco-terrorists in the Western Hemisphere, Axios reported on Nov. 13.

U.S., Caribbean: Operation Announcement Indicates Imminent Military Escalation

Russia

The Venezuelan government is setting up a guerrilla-style resistance and plans to create chaos in Caracas if the United States attacks the country, Reuters reported on Nov. 11.

Venezuela, U.S., Russia: Caracas Prepares Guerrilla Warfare To Counter U.S. Offensive

Equatorial Guinea

Gabon

Nigeria

Republic of the Congo

Algeria

Iran

Iraq

Kuwait

Libya

Saudi Arabia

United Arab Emirates

Energy

At their Nov. 2 meeting, the eight OPEC+ countries implementing voluntary production cuts agreed to boost production by 137,000 barrels per day in December -- the third consecutive small production hike of that level -- but plan to pause production hikes from January-March 2026, Reuters reported. 

OPEC+: Bloc To Halt Production Hikes in Early 2026 Amid Oil Glut, Russian Sanctions Concerns

The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has decided to attack military sites in Venezuela and the strikes could come at any moment, the Miami Herald reported Oct. 31, citing unnamed sources ''with knowledge of the situation.''

 U.S., Venezuela: White House Reportedly Ready To Strike Cartel-Linked Targets in Venezuelan Territory

Colombia

Dominican Republic

Ecuador

Haiti

Mexico

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that the U.S. military struck two alleged drug vessels in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Oct. 21 and 22, killing several alleged drug smugglers, Reuters reported on Oct. 22.

U.S., Latin America: U.S. Military Strikes Against Drug Traffickers Expand to Pacific Ocean

Politics

U.S. President Donald Trump ordered special envoy Richard Grenell to suspend all outreach to Venezuela, The New York Times reported on Oct. 6.

U.S., Venezuela: Suspension of Diplomatic Talks Indicates Growing Likelihood of Military Action

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro declared a state of external commotion, which allows the military control of public services, strategic institutions, the oil industry and border closures, El Pais reported on Sept. 29.

U.S., Venezuela: Maduro Expands Power as Tensions With U.S. Escalate

OPEC+ will likely decide to increase its oil production in November by at least 137,000 barrels per day when the group meets on Oct. 5, Bloomberg reported on Sept. 28.

Global: OPEC+ Likely To Approve Another Production Hike at Next Meeting

Assessments

Chile

Israel

Cambodia

Thailand

India

Pakistan

People watch the USS Gravely, a Navy warship, departing the Port of Spain on Oct. 30, 2025. The U.S. warship arrived in Trinidad and Tobago on Oct. 26, 2025, for joint exercises near the coast of Venezuela, as Washington ratcheted up pressure on drug traffickers and Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.

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

The Weekly Rundown: U.S.-Saudi Meeting, Military Escalation in the Caribbean

Media

Podcasts

Why are Venezuela's relationships with Russia, Iran and China so important to the United States?

Essential Geopolitics: The Primary Drivers and Constraints of U.S.-Venezuela Tensions

Spain

Uzbekistan

Ukraine

Tajikistan

Turkmenistan

Kazakhstan

Kyrgyzstan

Tanks on Sept. 23 in Caracas, Venezuela. The Trump administration has reportedly decided to attack military sites in Venezuela in strikes that could occur at any moment.

Economics

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

The Weekly Rundown: Potential U.S. Strikes in Venezuela, U.S. Outreach in Central Asia

Belize

Cuba

El Salvador

Guatemala

Honduras

Bahamas

Trinidad and Tobago

Jamaica

A U.S. Marine V-22 Osprey takes off from Jose Aponte de la Torre Airport, formerly Roosevelt Roads Naval Station, on Sept. 13, 2025, in Ceiba, Puerto Rico. 

The Trump administration will likely expand its attacks against alleged drug traffickers in the region over the next year, potentially extending to land-based targets, which will create safety, operational and compliance challenges for organizations.

The Outlook for U.S. Strikes on Drug Traffickers in Latin America and the Caribbean

A poster displaying a photo of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is seen as members of the Bolivarian Armed Forces take part in a military exercise in Caracas on Sept. 20, 2025. 

The U.S. will most likely conduct kinetic attacks on cartel sites in Venezuela over the next three to six months. Other scenarios, ranging from a negotiated settlement to a decapitation strike on Maduro, are comparatively less likely.

U.S. Confrontation With Venezuela: Potential Scenarios

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

Argentina

Bolivia

Brazil

Canada

Paraguay

Uruguay

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

Costa Rica

Guyana

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

Americas

Jordan

Palestinian Territories

Syria

Yemen

North Macedonia

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Serbia

Albania

Kosovo

South Asia

Afghanistan

Bangladesh

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. 

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

<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., Caribbean: Operation Announcement Indicates Imminent Military Escalation

Venezuela, U.S., Russia: Caracas Prepares Guerrilla Warfare To Counter U.S. Offensive

OPEC+: Bloc To Halt Production Hikes in Early 2026 Amid Oil Glut, Russian Sanctions Concerns

U.S., Venezuela: White House Reportedly Ready To Strike Cartel-Linked Targets in Venezuelan Territory

U.S., Latin America: U.S. Military Strikes Against Drug Traffickers Expand to Pacific Ocean

U.S., Venezuela: Suspension of Diplomatic Talks Indicates Growing Likelihood of Military Action

U.S., Venezuela: Maduro Expands Power as Tensions With U.S. Escalate

Global: OPEC+ Likely To Approve Another Production Hike at Next Meeting

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