Latin America

The pendulum that swung left two decades ago has swung back to the right. Colombia and Peru chose right-wing presidents in June by fractions of a percentage point, and on Sunday Brazil will settle a runoff between Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro. What is behind the turn? How does it resemble the "pink tide"? And what should the region expect?

Brazil: The October 25 Runoff

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 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

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

For Russians, a vacation in Latin America comes down to route, season and area of stay, not visas. Where is the weather right now suitable for travel, which countries admit Russians without a visa, and what real threats does a traveler face? We begin with the journey and documents, because they determine the budget.

Visas and Getting There

Safety in Latin America depends not on the country as a whole, but on the specific neighborhood and the tourist's habits. Where is it really dangerous, and where is it perfectly calm? What do the figures on homicides and official warnings say? And how should you behave to come home with good memories?

What the Numbers Say

Visa rules for Russians in Brazil and Argentina stayed the same in 2026. They changed for Americans and for foreigners in Argentina who want to stay. What rules apply now? What changed in practice? And why have visas become part of big-power politics? Let's take it step by step.

Brazil: Visa-Free Entry for Russians and a Visa Dispute with the US

Lithium in Latin America is controlled not by corporations but by the rules of the game in three countries. Chile is steering toward the state, Argentina is courting investors, and Bolivia has still not started production. Who is actually pumping the brine? Whose money is behind the projects? And where does Russia fit in?

Three Countries, Three Models

It is hard to find a more contradictory and painful image for Venezuela than this one: a country whose president was bombed, captured, kidnapped and taken out of its own territory by the United States is now celebrating oil agreements with the very same power that, only yesterday, was exercising a relationship of force over it.

The phrase "black diamond – Brazil" in gemology almost always refers to one and the same phenomenon: a unique variety of diamond called carbonado, found in only two places on the planet, one of which is located precisely in the Brazilian state of Bahia.

What Carbonado Is and Why It's Been Found Only Twice in Earth's History