United States

Venezuela

Military & Security

In response to a reporter's question, U.S. President Donald Trump said the United States "hit" a dock area in Venezuela allegedly used to load drugs onto boats to be trafficked out of the country, saying there was a "major explosion," Reuters reported on Dec. 29. 

U.S., Venezuela: Trump Says U.S. Destroyed Drug Trafficking Facility in Venezuela

Cuba

Mexico

Economics

Energy

Politics

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed the shipment of 80,000 barrels of oil to Cuba, stating that it occurred pursuant to historic bilateral agreements and for humanitarian reasons, Efe reported Dec. 22.

Cuba: Mexico Confirms Oil Shipments Amid U.S. Blockade of Venezuela

The U.S. Coast Guard and Defense Department seized a second and third oil tanker Dec. 20 and Dec. 21, respectively, off the coast of Venezuela, AP reported Dec. 21.

Venezuela: U.S. Forces Seize Two Additional Tankers

Argentina

Bolivia

Brazil

Paraguay

Uruguay

Europe

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced on Dec. 18 that the bloc's trade deal with Mercosur would not be signed as previously scheduled on Dec. 20, with the approval delayed until January 2026, Politico reported on Dec. 18. 

EU, South America: EU Announces Delay to Mercosur Trade Agreement

U.S. President Donald Trump ordered a blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela, Reuters reported on Dec. 16.

U.S., Venezuela: Trump Orders Total Blockade of Sanctioned Tankers Around Venezuela

Colombia

U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Dec. 15 in which he designated "illicit fentanyl and its core precursor chemicals" as weapons of mass destruction, or WMD.

U.S.: Trump Designates Fentanyl, Precursors as Weapons of Mass Destruction

Cyber

Venezuelan state-owned oil company PDVSA claimed it suffered a cyberattack orchestrated by the United States and conspirators in a statement published on Dec. 15, Reuters reported the same day.

Venezuela: State Oil Company Suffers Cyberattack, Accuses U.S.

The United States seized a sanctioned oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, Reuters reported on Dec. 10. 

U.S., Venezuela: U.S. Seizure of Venezuelan Oil Tanker Indicates Further Pressure Campaign Escalation

Assessments

Guyana

Venezuela's National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez (C) gestures during the official picture of the new National Assembly in Caracas on Jan. 5, 2026. 

Venezuela's acting president is most likely to cooperate with the United States to keep the country's regime intact, but other, more volatile scenarios remain possible. 

Venezuela's Post-Maduro Outlook: Potential Scenarios

Snapshots

Fuerte Tiuna, Venezuela's largest military complex, after a series of explosions Jan. 3, 2026, in Caracas amid U.S. strikes.

The detention of the Venezuelan president creates a power vacuum that risks triggering violent unrest while establishing a precedent for further U.S. interventionism in Latin America.

U.S. Capture of Maduro Could Lead to Instability and Unrest in Venezuela, Wider Region

Saudi Arabia

United Arab Emirates

Yemen

China

North Korea

South Korea

Ukraine

A U.S. Marine Corps F-35B fighter jet takes off from Jose Aponte de la Torre Airport on December 15, 2025 in Ceiba, Puerto Rico. If U.S. strikes escalate and cause significant casualties, it could make retaliatory measures -- including the arbitrary detention of U.S. citizens in Venezuela or the harassment of energy sector vessels in the region -- more likely.

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

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

The Weekly Rundown: South Korea's President Visits Beijing, U.S. Operations in Venezuela

Benin

Burkina Faso

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Madagascar

Mali

Niger

Nigeria

Rwanda

Canada

Egypt

Iran

Israel

Lebanon

Morocco

Palestinian Territories

Qatar

Syria

Turkey

Australia

Cambodia

Timor-Leste

Indonesia

Japan

Mongolia

Myanmar

Philippines

Thailand

Vietnam

Bulgaria

Russia

Afghanistan

India

Nepal

Pakistan

Flight routes.

Environment, Science & Technology

Science & Technology

As 2026 approaches, we look back at the previous year and consider the top five patterns and trends as measured by geopolitical impact.

2025: A Geopolitical Review

A U.S. military MQ-9 Reaper drone sits on a tarmac at Rafael Hernandez Airport in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, on Dec. 27, 2025.

The Trump administration will likely soon launch more strikes inside Venezuela following the reported CIA drone attack on a suspected drug port, though a U.S. ground invasion remains unlikely for the foreseeable future.

Trump Escalates Pressure on Venezuela With First Land Strike

Central African Republic

Guinea

Cyprus

Kosovo

The Bulgarian flag and the European flag waving in the wind.

The Weekly Rundown: Bulgaria Adopts the Euro, U.S.-Venezuela Tensions Persist

A U.S. Marine Corps AV-8B Harrier II on Dec. 15 taxis at Jose Aponte de la Torre Airport in Ceiba, Puerto Rico.

The Weekly Rundown: French Budget Deadlock, U.S.-Russia Talks in Miami

The U.S. Navy's Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group participates in joint operations with the U.S. Air Force on Nov. 13, 2025.

Increased military mobilizations, failed negotiations with Maduro and persistent aggressive rhetoric suggest the Trump administration will likely soon escalate its Caribbean military campaign to targeted strikes in Venezuelan territory.

The U.S. Remains Poised To Attack Venezuelan Territory

Chile

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.

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

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.

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

Belize

Dominican Republic

Ecuador

El Salvador

Guatemala

Haiti

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

<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., Venezuela: Trump Says U.S. Destroyed Drug Trafficking Facility in Venezuela

Cuba: Mexico Confirms Oil Shipments Amid U.S. Blockade of Venezuela

Venezuela: U.S. Forces Seize Two Additional Tankers

EU, South America: EU Announces Delay to Mercosur Trade Agreement

U.S., Venezuela: Trump Orders Total Blockade of Sanctioned Tankers Around Venezuela

U.S.: Trump Designates Fentanyl, Precursors as Weapons of Mass Destruction

Venezuela: State Oil Company Suffers Cyberattack, Accuses U.S.

U.S., Venezuela: U.S. Seizure of Venezuelan Oil Tanker Indicates Further Pressure Campaign Escalation

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