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December 22, 2023

Venezuela
Venezuela: The Rise and Fall of a Petrostate

Venezuela’s ongoing descent into economic and political chaos is a cautionary tale of the dangerous influence that resource wealth can have on developing countries.

People walk past an oil-themed mural in Caracas, Venezuela.

December 22, 2023

Public Health Threats and Pandemics
Fentanyl and the U.S. Opioid Epidemic

Opioid addiction has become one of the United States’ biggest killers, endangering public health, the economy, and national security. But closing the floodgates on fentanyl poses a significant foreig…

Photos of fentanyl victims are on display at The Faces of Fentanyl Memorial at the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration headquarters.

December 18, 2023

Latin America
Mercosur: South America’s Fractious Trade Bloc

Three decades after its founding, Latin America’s largest trade bloc continues to deal with internal divisions, including over a stalled trade deal with the European Union. New leadership in Argentina and Brazil could shake things up.

A truck driver waits to unload his cargo of cereal grain at a rail terminal in Brazil.

December 12, 2023

Peacekeeping
The Role of Peacekeeping in Africa

Africa continues to have more peacekeeping missions than any other continent. As conflict-stricken countries increasingly look outside the United Nations for support, experts say reforms are necessar…

A peacekeeping vehicle transports troops on a dirt road in the DRC.

December 5, 2023

Climate Change
Global Climate Agreements: Successes and Failures

International efforts, such as the Paris Agreement, aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. But experts say countries aren’t doing enough to limit dangerous global warming.

Muddy waters nearly submerge lines of cars during a flood in Colorado, United States.

December 4, 2023

Budget, Debt, and Deficits
The U.S. National Debt Dilemma

With the U.S. national debt already exceeding $16 trillion, President Trump’s tax reform and budget deals with Congress have added to the country’s deficits. CFR explores the origins of the national debt, the risks it presents, and the outlook for change.

An exterior view of the U.S. Treasury building from below

December 4, 2023

Sub-Saharan Africa
AGOA: The U.S.-Africa Trade Program

AGOA is the cornerstone of the U.S.-Africa trade relationship, but declining support has called the program’s value into question.

A worker wearing a dust mask sews at an export processing zone factory in Athi River, Kenya.

November 21, 2023

Russia
Russia’s Influence in the Balkans

The Balkans have long been a source of tension between Russia and the West, with Moscow cultivating allies there as the EU and NATO expand into the region. The war in Ukraine could be shifting the ca…

A mural depicting Russian president Vladimir Putin with a text reading kosovo is Serbia on October 22, 2020 in Belgrade, Serbia.

October 31, 2023

Latin America
What Does the Inter-American Development Bank Do?

The Inter-American Development Bank aims to bolster economic and social development in Latin America and the Caribbean, but critics say reforms are needed.

A sign promotes the IDB Board of Governors meeting in Panama City, Panama, in March 2023.

October 31, 2023

Palestinian Territories
What Is Hamas?

The Palestinian militant group has struggled to govern Gaza and remains committed to violently resisting Israel. Its surprise attack against Israel in 2023 threatens a wider conflagration in the Midd…

Gun-toting Hamas militants ride a vehicle amid a massive crowd of the group's supporters