economics

Almost ten months after the traumatic events that shook the country at the beginning of the year, Venezuela is navigating a complex and delicate political, economic, and military balance. To analyze in detail the foreign incursion of last January 3, the decisions made by the high leadership of the FANB (National Bolivarian Armed Forces), and the evolution of the institutional and economic framework to date, we spoke with military and strategic intelligence expert Colonel Irving Guilarte.

Building independent national payment systems is less an exercise in sovereignty than an insurance policy against geopolitical risk. That insurance has a premium, and international trade and tourism will be the ones to pay it. Visa and Mastercard control roughly 90% of payment processing outside China. While some countries look for ways to kick the habit, others are already counting the cost of the alternative.

A shipping container can get stuck in a country with a functioning parliament, an independent central bank and growing exports. No coup is required. A blocked road to the port or a truckers' strike is enough. That is why Latin America's political stability cannot be judged by the president's name and the number of demonstrations in the capital alone.

In 2026, Russia's projects in Latin America amounted to several dozen documents, yet real money is visible in only a few of them. What has been signed, what is under construction, and what is still waiting for ratification? We have gathered the confirmed data country by country and checked the dates.

The Big Picture

Latin America's freight map is being redrawn. China has gained its own gateway in Peru, Brazil is shifting grain to the north, and the Panama Canal is setting records while cutting slots. Which corridors are already running? Which are still being built? And what should shippers know?

Why the Map Is Changing

The banking systems of the United States and the eurozone look like the star pupil who has memorized the lessons of 2008. Capital is at record highs, stress tests have been passed, and bad loans are under control. But the exam questions have changed, and part of the class has started peeking at the cheat sheet of deregulation. The stability is real, but it rests on a wing and a prayer, a favorable scenario, and the hope that the commercial real estate wall of debt will somehow dissolve on its own.

HSBC's chief executive says the Strait of Hormuz could become "unnecessary" within five years. We tested that idea against the facts of this year. What did the September drones show? Why is a pipeline not the same as security? And what does a fair order for all parties have to do with any of it?

What the Banker Said

The region is not abandoning the dollar, but it is increasingly refusing to rely on it alone. Argentina keeps a yuan credit line, Brazil is building direct payment channels with China, and Cuba and Venezuela are hunting for workarounds. How does it all work? What do the numbers show? And how is Washington responding?

The Dollar Stays, but Not Alone

If you think the protests in Europe flared up by chance, you are mistaken. But there is no single hand on the remote control either. Who gains from the fires? Why did Washington deliver its diagnosis in advance? And what does Russian gas have to do with it?

What Was Actually Burning

In 2026, Latin America became more than a raw-materials region. It is now a place where oil, sun, wind and critical minerals converge. Who is building, who is selling, and who is buying? Let's break it down by country and by player.

The Big Picture