Venezuela
Chevron to invest over $7bn in Venezuela, Colombia’s GeoPark and Italy’s Eni will also enter
Chevron plans to invest over $7bn in Venezuela over the next five years as it targets more than a doubling of its oil production in the South American country to 600,000 barrels per day.
Pentagon takes stake in Venezuelan oil venture as details of Trump's deal emerge
Controversial businessman Alejandro Betancourt's NABEP wins 100-year rights to 17 fields, but contradictions over ownership terms and unresolved legal questions cloud the "biggest oil deal in history."
Trump announces deal giving US majority stake in Venezuelan oilfields
Washington-backed venture to take majority stake in 17 fields as Caracas seeks investment to revive its ailing oil industry and Trump faces pressure over petrol prices.
Venezuela and Colombia find a silver lining in earthquake reconstruction
Reconstruction spending after the devastating earthquakes that struck Venezuela and Colombia this year could provide a modest lift to both economies in 2027, according to ECLAC Secretary José Manuel Salazar-Xirinachs.
ECLAC holds Latin America 2026 growth forecast at 2.2%
Latin America and the Caribbean's economy will grow 2.2% in 2026, unchanged from ECLAC's earlier forecast, before picking up to 2.5% in 2027, as high informality and weak investment continue to cripple the region's growth potential, the UN body says.
Asia's nuclear arms race stops being hypothetical
China has told Japan not to test its patience over nuclear weapons, in an exchange that has moved an Asian arms race from something strategists war-game to something foreign ministries now argue about in public. Beijing's warning followed months...
The strongest El Niño on record will hit food prices from Brazil to Indonesia
The Pacific is warming faster than at any point in the modern record, and central bankers have started writing it into their forecasts.
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Venezuela's Bank of England gold to be routed through US Treasury accounts
Venezuela's Bank of England gold reserves would be channelled through US Treasury accounts to fund reconstruction after June's earthquakes, a National Assembly deputy said.
Europe killed 25,000 of its own people this summer for want of air conditioning
Extreme heat has killed more than 25,000 people across Europe this year, according to data compiled from government agencies and research institutions in Germany, Spain, France, the UK, Switzerland and the Netherlands.
Rubio sees Venezuela transition advancing within months ahead of talks
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he expects Venezuela's political transition to advance over the coming months rather than years, as representatives of the interim government and the opposition prepare for their first face-to-face negotiations.
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Venezuela's rift with Iran marks end of anti-Western foreign policy
Venezuela summoned Iran's ambassador on July 28 to deliver a formal protest over remarks by Tehran officials, in a rare public rupture between two countries that had been staunch anti-Western allies for more than two decades.
World Bank puts Venezuela earthquake damage at nearly $20bn
The World Bank has estimated that the devastating earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24 caused $19.6bn in direct physical damage.
Rubio says US-backed Venezuela transition talks to begin in early August
The US is stepping up efforts to advance a political transition in Venezuela, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying formal negotiations involving the interim government and opposition representatives are expected to begin in August.
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Cashea raises $100mn to expand consumer credit in earthquake-hit Venezuela
Venezuelan financial technology company Cashea has raised $100mn from a group of international investors led by FinSight Ventures and Spice Expeditions.
Xi positions China to challenge US grip on global AI rules
President Xi Jinping used the opening of China's flagship AI summit on July 17 to portray Beijing as an alternative rule-setter for artificial intelligence, unveiling a new intergovernmental body and a package of aid for developing nations.
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Russia-Argentina nuclear cooperation grinds to halt as Milei pivots to US
Russia and Argentina have effectively halted cooperation on civil nuclear energy projects, Russia's ambassador to Buenos Aires said, as President Javier Milei's government deepens its alignment with the United States and moves away from Moscow.
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Strong El Niño threatens Latin American inflation and rate cuts, UBS warns
Latin American economies face renewed inflationary pressure and possible delays to interest rate cuts if a strong El Niño weather pattern disrupts food production, electricity generation and infrastructure this year, Swiss bank UBS said in a note.
Trump warns US will "take care" of Iranian drones stockpiled in Cuba
US President Donald Trump said on July 13 that his administration was investigating claims that Iran has stored drones in Cuba, warning that Washington would respond if the presence of such weaponry on the island were confirmed.
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Trinidad bets on AI infrastructure despite mounting resource concerns
Trinidad and Tobago is pursuing AI-driven investment through major US-backed data centre projects, but concerns over water scarcity, electricity demand and environmental sustainability are emerging alongside promises of jobs and diversification.
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War in Iran set to weigh on Latin America throughout 2026, ECLAC warns
The war between the US, Israel and Iran will continue to weigh on Latin American and Caribbean economies for the rest of 2026, even if last month's fragile ceasefire holds, the UN's regional economic body has warned.