{"id":3483,"date":"2026-01-02T18:25:08","date_gmt":"2026-01-02T18:25:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/?p=3483"},"modified":"2026-01-02T18:25:08","modified_gmt":"2026-01-02T18:25:08","slug":"top-stories-to-watch-in-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/?p=3483","title":{"rendered":"Top Stories to Watch in 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div data-nosnippet=\"\">\n<p>Welcome back to <em>Foreign Policy<\/em>\u2019s Latin America Brief, and Happy New Year.<\/p>\n<p>This week, we\u2019re previewing some of the biggest stories of 2026: the future of <strong>U.S.-Mexico-Canada relations<\/strong> amid a trade deal review and the World Cup, the race for the next <strong>United Nations secretary-general<\/strong>, and <strong>key elections<\/strong> across the region.<\/p>\n<div class=\"newsletter-unit-signup--shortcode-fallback\">\n<h2 class=\"dek-heading\">\n                <\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/category\/latin-america-brief\/\">Sign up<\/a>  to receive Latin America Brief in your inbox every Friday.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<form data-shortcode-newsletter=\"latin_america_brief\" class=\"newsletter-unit-signup newsletter-unit-signup--shortcode email-capture--step-1 newsletter-unit-signup--shortcode-latin_america_brief\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-latin_america_brief newsletter-shortcode-latin_america_brief\">\n<div class=\"show-on-email-capture--signed-up hide-from-newsletter-subscriber newsletter-unit-signup--shortcode--container\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-unit newsletter-row\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-latin_america_brief\">\n<h2 class=\"dek-heading\">Sign up to receive Latin America Brief in your inbox every Friday.<\/h2>\n<p>\n                        <button class=\"button\">Sign Up<\/button>\n                    <\/p>\n<div class=\"grid--flex newsletter-latin_america_brief newsletter-signup-container\" role=\"group\" aria-label=\"Latin America Brief sign up form\" tabindex=\"0\">\n<div class=\"buttons\">\n<div class=\"hide-from-newsletter-subscriber privacy-policy-container\">\n<div class=\"privacy-policy-acknowledge\">\n<p><small>By submitting your email, you agree to the <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/privacy\/\" target=\"_blank\">Privacy Policy<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/termsofuse\/\" target=\"_blank\">Terms of Use<\/a> and to receive email correspondence from us. You may opt out at any time.<\/small><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\n    <label for=\"email-latin_america_brief\">Enter your email<\/label><br \/>\n    <input type=\"email\" name=\"email\" class=\"hide-from-reg hide-from-sub\" id=\"email-latin_america_brief\" aria-required=\"true\" required=\"\"\/><\/p>\n<p>    <button class=\"button button--signup \" data-newsletter-id=\"latin_america_brief\" data-sourceid=\"In-article unit\" type=\"submit\"><br \/>\n      <span class=\"sign-up-text\">Sign Up<\/span><br \/>\n      <span class=\"loading-text\">Loading&#8230;<\/span><br \/>\n    <\/button>\n  <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<hr\/>\n<p>In recent decades, the politics and economies of Canada, Mexico, and the United States have become so intertwined that leaders\u2019 summits between the countries earned the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/north-american-leaders-display-unity-despite-friction\/a-64345664\">nickname<\/a> the Three Amigos.<\/p>\n<p>U.S. President Donald Trump tested the limits of that friendship last year via tariffs, threats to abandon a trilateral trade deal, and harsh immigration restrictions that could undermine the success of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be held across the three countries.<\/p>\n<p>This summer, the countries will face a deadline for whether to scrap, keep, or tweak the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) trade deal that took effect in 2020\u2014just as the soccer tournament gets underway. The fate of both will affect the all-important North American relationship.<\/p>\n<p>USMCA was negotiated during Trump\u2019s first term, replacing the North American Free Trade Agreement. It has a built-in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.brookings.edu\/articles\/the-us-has-formally-started-joint-review-of-usmca\/\">review process<\/a> that is due to conclude by July 1. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jornada.com.mx\/2025\/12\/22\/economia\/024n1eco\">Mexico<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2025\/12\/12\/usmca-review-trump-trade-canada-mexico-tariffs\/\">Canada<\/a> would like to see the deal extended in something close to its current form, while Trump\u2019s trade representative, Jamieson Greer, recently <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbc.ca\/news\/canada\/trump-trade-us-canada-mexico-cusma-usmca-jamieson-greer-9.7010300\">said<\/a> that the United States had considered exiting the deal and replacing it with separate bilateral agreements.<\/p>\n<p>In private, U.S. negotiators appear committed to the deal, senior Canadian officials have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theglobeandmail.com\/politics\/article-carney-rejects-idea-trump-wants-to-exit-usmca\/\">said<\/a>. But Trump\u2019s unpredictability, especially on trade, means that the fate of the deal is an open question. U.S. tariffs on Canada and Mexico last year already slowed growth in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bankofcanada.ca\/publications\/mpr\/mpr-2025-10-29\/canadian-conditions\/?utm_source=chatgpt.com\">both<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.imf.org\/-\/media\/files\/publications\/reo\/whd\/2025\/october\/english\/text.pdf\">countries<\/a>; some experts <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bakerinstitute.org\/research\/future-north-american-trade-and-economic-integration\">say<\/a> the levies violated the USMCA.<\/p>\n<p>The outcome of the USMCA review could provide clarity on where U.S. tariff levels will ultimately settle. For Mexico and Canada, a sharp departure from current USMCA rules would force an initially painful reorganization of their foreign trade relations. Some <a href=\"https:\/\/www150.statcan.gc.ca\/n1\/daily-quotidien\/250205\/dq250205a-eng.htm\">75 percent<\/a> of Canada\u2019s exports and <a href=\"https:\/\/ustr.gov\/countries-regions\/americas\/mexico\">80 percent<\/a> of Mexico\u2019s currently go to the United States.<\/p>\n<p>The World Cup, for its part, could affect public opinion of the United States in Mexico and the broader region. Hosting the tournament is an opportunity for any country to boost its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.taylorfrancis.com\/chapters\/edit\/10.4324\/9781003121794-5\/diplomacy-international-relations-soft-power-fifa-world-cup-simon-rofe\">soft power<\/a>. But this year\u2019s edition is already marred by worries about how the Trump administration\u2019s anti-migrant stance could affect some fans, especially those from Latin America and the Caribbean.<\/p>\n<p>The United States hosted an international tournament of soccer clubs last year. During that event, U.S. authorities detained an asylum-seeker living in the United States who was on the way to a game and later <a href=\"https:\/\/english.elpais.com\/sports\/2025-12-04\/hrw-reveals-migrant-arrested-during-the-club-world-cup-final-the-world-cup-cannot-be-a-way-to-entrap-fans.html\">deported<\/a> him. (He was initially <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/news\/2025\/12\/03\/us-ice-arrest-at-fifa-event-spotlights-dangers-for-world-cup\">detained<\/a> for unauthorized use of a drone.) The White House envoy for the World Cup <a href=\"https:\/\/www.state.gov\/briefings-foreign-press-centers\/preparations-for-fifa-world-cup-2026\">said<\/a> last month that Trump would not rule out immigration raids at this year\u2019s tournament.<\/p>\n<p>Such raids could affect people from Latin America and the Caribbean who are currently in the United States, and some of those living outside the country might be blocked from attending the tournament altogether because of Trump\u2019s travel bans.<\/p>\n<p>That is the case for Haitian soccer fans, even as Haiti has qualified for the World Cup for the first time in 50 years. Trump <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/presidential-actions\/2025\/06\/restricting-the-entry-of-foreign-nationals-to-protect-the-united-states-from-foreign-terrorists-and-other-national-security-and-public-safety-threats\/\">banned<\/a> Haitians from entering the United States in June. As of December, the White House had <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/6866418\/2025\/12\/05\/world-cup-news-haiti-travel-ban-united-states\/\">issued<\/a> an exemption for soccer players, but not fans.<\/p>\n<p>By last June, public opinion of the United States in Brazil and Mexico had turned more negative under Trump, according to a Pew <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pewresearch.org\/global\/2025\/06\/11\/us-image-declines-in-many-nations-amid-low-confidence-in-trump\/\">survey<\/a>. A World Cup characterized by deportations and blocked fans could accelerate the trend.<\/p>\n<p>If Mexico provides an especially positive experience for tourists, that could hasten a different pattern. The number of visitors to the country was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gob.mx\/sectur\/articulos\/sectur-el-turismo-alcanza-record-historico-en-llegada-de-visitantes-turistas-internacionales-y-derrama-economica-durante-octubre-de-2025\">on track<\/a> to break a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jornada.com.mx\/noticia\/2025\/02\/11\/economia\/el-pais-recibio-a-45-millones-de-turistas-internacionales-que-gastaron-mas-de-30-mil-mdd-en-2024-6835\">record<\/a> in 2025, according to government data through October. While U.S. tourism is growing <a href=\"https:\/\/skift.com\/2025\/12\/11\/international-travel-us-november-decline\/\">dimmer<\/a>, that of neighboring Mexico is shining <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2025\/09\/07\/where-are-travelers-going-if-they-arent-going-to-the-us.html\">brighter<\/a>.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<div id=\"attachment_1215835\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone none\">            <span style=\"padding-bottom:66.625%;&#10;        \" class=\"image-attachment -ratioscale\"><br \/>\n        <br \/>\n        <\/span><figcaption style=\"height:0;opacity:0;\">Brazilian President Luiz In\u00e1cio Lula da Silva gestures during the opening ceremony of the Brazil-Paraguay Integration Bridge in Foz do Igua\u00e7u, Brazil.<\/figcaption><p id=\"caption-attachment-1215835\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Brazilian President Luiz In\u00e1cio Lula da Silva gestures during the opening ceremony of the Brazil-Paraguay Integration Bridge in Foz do Igua\u00e7u, Brazil, on Dec. 19, 2025.<span class=\"attribution\">Evaristo Sa\/AFP via Getty Images<\/span><!-- caption placeholder --><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Haiti, and Peru will all hold presidential elections this year, and the contests in the first two countries will have implications well beyond their borders.<\/p>\n<p>Because of term limits, Colombia will bid farewell to leftist President Gustavo Petro, who sought\u2014with mixed success\u2014to depart from the hard-line war on drugs, to increase Bogot\u00e1\u2019s foreign-policy independence from Washington, and to spur a global coalition of countries to move away from dependence on oil and gas.<\/p>\n<p>Petro\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.elcolombiano.com\/colombia\/encuesta-invamer-desaprobacion-de-petro-2025-DG31378597\">approval<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rtvcnoticias.com\/politica\/aprobacion-e-imagen-positiva-del-presidente-petro-se-ubican-en-el-40\">rating<\/a> sits at around 40 percent or lower, which bodes poorly for his ally and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/americas\/colombias-left-picks-ivan-cepeda-2026-presidential-candidate-2025-10-26\/\">potential successor<\/a>, Iv\u00e1n Cepeda. With a more conservative president, Colombia\u2019s energy and security policies could take a sharp turn, and it could join the region\u2019s column of pro-Trump countries.<\/p>\n<p>A loss for Brazilian President Luiz In\u00e1cio Lula da Silva, who is seeking a fourth term in office, could have a similar result. A rightward shift in Brazil would be consequential for the region. It could lead the country to scale down its <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2023\/09\/22\/united-nations-unga-lula-brazil-speech-zelensky-ukraine-biden-labor-union\/\">ambitions<\/a> to <a href=\"https:\/\/feps-europe.eu\/brics-2025-brazils-balancing-act\/\">shape<\/a> the <a href=\"https:\/\/cop30.br\/en\/news-about-cop30\/cop30-launches-belem-declaration-and-strengthens-the-global-green-industrialization-agenda\">agenda<\/a> of global south countries, a hallmark of Lula\u2019s administration. It might also slow Brazil\u2019s work on road, rail, and port infrastructure <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.br\/planejamento\/pt-br\/assuntos\/articulacao-institucional\/rotas-de-integracao-sul-americana\">projects<\/a> to better physically integrate South American economies.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<p>Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz, who took office in November, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/world\/americas\/bolivia-bets-on-lithiumand-the-u-s-to-end-its-economic-slump-c4ac938c\">aims<\/a> to open the country\u2019s lithium reserves to more private investment. Meanwhile, Brazil\u2019s legislature is debating a <a href=\"https:\/\/www12.senado.leg.br\/noticias\/materias\/2025\/12\/09\/cae-aprova-politica-nacional-para-processamento-de-minerais-criticos\">draft<\/a> critical minerals policy that would channel some of the country\u2019s raw materials into local processing plants.<\/p>\n<p>China is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.globaltimes.cn\/page\/202512\/1350190.shtml\">pitching itself<\/a> as a partner for Latin American governments to boost their domestic industries related to critical minerals. The <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/live\/gracelin-baskaran-critical-minerals-trump-foreign-policy\/\">Trump administration<\/a> has brought up critical minerals in its talks with multiple Latin American <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnnbrasil.com.br\/economia\/macroeconomia\/em-washington-brasil-e-eua-retomam-dialogo-sobre-minerais-criticos\/\">governments<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/briefings-statements\/2025\/11\/joint-statement-on-framework-for-a-united-states-argentina-agreement-on-reciprocal-trade-and-investment\/\">pledged<\/a> to cooperate on critical minerals investments with Argentina. The European Union has also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ft.com\/content\/70964f99-54e9-494c-861d-139259d33893\">touted<\/a> the matter as a potential area of cooperation.<\/p>\n<p>Whether Latin American countries can use their critical minerals as a springboard to industrial growth and locally made technologies is a question that will define the century, not just this year. But it\u2019s clear that if Latin American countries do not set their own critical minerals policies, superpowers may be interested in setting the rules of engagement for them.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<div id=\"attachment_1215837\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone none\">            <span style=\"padding-bottom:66.625%;&#10;        \" class=\"image-attachment -ratioscale\"><br \/>\n        <img decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" alt=\"Samuel Moncada, Venezuela\u2019s ambassador to the United Nations, speaks during a U.N. Security Council meeting on U.S. military actions against Venezuela, at U.N. headquarters in New York.\" class=\"image wp-image-1215837 size-text_width_tight -fit\" src=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/United-Nations-Venezuela-GettyImages-2252658410.jpg?w=800\" srcset=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/United-Nations-Venezuela-GettyImages-2252658410.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/United-Nations-Venezuela-GettyImages-2252658410.jpg?resize=150,100 150w, https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/United-Nations-Venezuela-GettyImages-2252658410.jpg?resize=550,367 550w, https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/United-Nations-Venezuela-GettyImages-2252658410.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/United-Nations-Venezuela-GettyImages-2252658410.jpg?resize=400,267 400w, https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/United-Nations-Venezuela-GettyImages-2252658410.jpg?resize=401,267 401w, https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/United-Nations-Venezuela-GettyImages-2252658410.jpg?resize=800,533 800w, https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/United-Nations-Venezuela-GettyImages-2252658410.jpg?resize=1000,667 1000w, https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/United-Nations-Venezuela-GettyImages-2252658410.jpg?resize=275,183 275w, https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/United-Nations-Venezuela-GettyImages-2252658410.jpg?resize=325,217 325w, https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/United-Nations-Venezuela-GettyImages-2252658410.jpg?resize=600,400 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><br \/>\n        <\/span><figcaption style=\"height:0;opacity:0;\">Samuel Moncada, Venezuela\u2019s ambassador to the United Nations, speaks during a U.N. Security Council meeting on U.S. military actions against Venezuela, at U.N. headquarters in New York.<\/figcaption><p id=\"caption-attachment-1215837\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Samuel Moncada, Venezuela\u2019s ambassador to the United Nations, speaks during a U.N. Security Council meeting on U.S. military actions against Venezuela, at U.N. headquarters in New York on Dec. 23, 2025. <span class=\"attribution\">Angela Weiss\/AFP via Getty Images<\/span><!-- caption placeholder --><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>The United Nations will choose its next secretary-general this year, and an informal custom <a href=\"https:\/\/www.japantimes.co.jp\/news\/2025\/04\/10\/world\/latin-american-un-leader-candidates\/\">stipulates<\/a> that it is Latin America and the Caribbean\u2019s turn to field the leader. In recent months, calls have also <a href=\"https:\/\/1for8billion.org\/news\/2025\/11\/27\/open-letter-170-organisations-urge-member-states-to-support-women-candidates-and-civil-society-inclusion-in-sg-selection\">grown<\/a> for the U.N. to name its first female secretary-general. Lula is among those who came out in favor of electing a woman to the position <a href=\"https:\/\/agenciabrasil.ebc.com.br\/internacional\/noticia\/2025-04\/lula-defende-candidatura-latina-para-onu-e-critica-tarifas-arbitrarias\">last year<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Chile\u2019s outgoing administration <a href=\"https:\/\/www.upi.com\/Top_News\/World-News\/2025\/09\/26\/chile-michelle-bachelet-secretary-general-UN-nominee\/8291758903606\/\">nominated<\/a> former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet for the position, though President-elect Jos\u00e9 Antonio Kast has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.latercera.com\/politica\/noticia\/kast-posterga-su-decision-en-nominacion-de-bachelet-a-la-onu-y-expresidenta-alista-nuevos-viajes-para-enero\/\">not said<\/a> whether he will maintain the nomination. Costa Rica <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/americas\/costa-rica-nominates-ex-vp-grynspan-head-un-2025-10-08\/\">nominated<\/a> former Vice President Rebeca Grynspan. Both have senior U.N. leadership experience.<\/p>\n<p>Mexican Natural Resources Secretary Alicia B\u00e1rcena and Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley are also being <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lowyinstitute.org\/the-interpreter\/un-s-impossible-job-who-would-want-be-next-secretary-general\">informally eyed<\/a> as candidates.<\/p>\n<p>The Trump administration, meanwhile, has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thenationalnews.com\/news\/us\/2025\/09\/19\/unga-un-secretary-general-selection-antonio-guterres\/\">thrown<\/a> its weight behind a male candidate: Rafael Grossi, the Argentine head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog. Argentina\u2019s government officially nominated Grossi, who has <a href=\"https:\/\/english.elpais.com\/international\/2025-12-15\/rafael-grossi-the-united-nations-has-forgotten-its-purpose.html\">suggested<\/a> a renewed focus on the U.N.\u2019s original mandate to prevent war. The Trump administration has <a href=\"https:\/\/home.treasury.gov\/news\/press-releases\/sb0094\">criticized<\/a> U.N. efforts to address gender and climate issues on the global stage.<\/p>\n<p>Echoing some U.S. critiques, Bachelet and Grynspan have also called for the U.N. to become more <a href=\"https:\/\/www.batimes.com.ar\/news\/latin-america\/world-is-ready-for-a-woman-at-helm-of-un-says-chiles-michelle-bachelet.phtml\">efficient<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/english.elpais.com\/international\/2025-12-04\/rebeca-grynspan-the-un-must-sit-at-the-most-important-negotiating-tables-in-the-world.html\">return<\/a> to its first principles. But a successful candidate will need backing from far beyond Washington.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.imf.org\/en\/blogs\/articles\/2024\/12\/05\/breaking-latin-americas-cycle-of-low-growth-and-violence\">toll<\/a> of organized crime in Latin America has become one of the region\u2019s top <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/12\/13\/world\/americas\/chile-election-latin-america-crime.html\">election issues<\/a>. It has also attracted major <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-National-Security-Strategy.pdf\">attention<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cfr.org\/article\/mapping-us-military-buildup-near-venezuela\">military resources<\/a> from the Trump administration.<\/p>\n<p>That does not mean that the United States is automatically setting countries\u2019 security policies, however. Last year, Mexico pushed back against the White House\u2019s proposed approach to drug trafficking, which included potential U.S. strikes on Mexican soil, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/national-security\/2025\/12\/18\/stephen-miller-boat-strikes-mexico-venezuela-execute-order\/\"><em>Washington Post<\/em><\/a> reported. Instead, Mexico took its own <a href=\"https:\/\/www.economist.com\/the-americas\/2025\/11\/10\/making-mexico-less-of-a-gangsters-paradise\">steps<\/a> to curb cartel action, reducing homicides and persuading the United States to back down.<\/p>\n<p>In 2026, other countries in the region will take their own new steps on security policy. Chile\u2019s Kast, who will be inaugurated in March, has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.economist.com\/the-americas\/2025\/12\/11\/jose-antonio-kast-is-chiles-probable-next-president-how-will-he-govern\">pledged<\/a> to step up the military\u2019s role in anti-crime patrols and lengthen incarcerations. Crime is expected to be a leading issue in elections in Colombia and Peru.<\/p>\n<p>Some Latin American leaders may continue to <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2025\/11\/10\/latin-america-trump-drug-boat-war-venezuela-maduro\/\">endorse<\/a> purported U.S. anti-cartel actions in the region\u2014most notably related to Venezuela\u2014to stay on the Trump administration\u2019s good side. But there are risks to this approach. If the White House escalates its pressure campaign against Venezuela, it may become <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/live-news\/20251220-armed-conflict-in-venezuela-would-be-humanitarian-catastrophe-lula\">harder to defend<\/a> to Latin American publics.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/01\/02\/latin-america-2026-usmca-world-cup-elections-minerals-un\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Welcome back to Foreign Policy\u2019s Latin America Brief, and Happy New Year. This week, we\u2019re previewing some of the biggest stories of 2026: the future of U.S.-Mexico-Canada relations amid a trade deal review and the World Cup, the race for the next United Nations secretary-general, and key elections across the region. Sign up to receive [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3484,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-3483","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-politcical-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3483","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3483"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3483\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3484"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3483"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3483"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3483"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}