The Dilemma of Oil Sanctions and Democratic Progress
The United States must consider its next steps, as the temporary license to ease restrictions on Venezuela’s oil sanction is set to expire on Thursday. The agreement's condition, which provides necessary breathing room for Venezuela's oil and gas sectors, would depend on President Nicolas Maduro making democratic progress by the upcoming election date of July 28.
Revisionism or Revanchism: Japan’s New Foreign Policy
On April 14, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida sat down with CNN to discuss his upcoming summit with President Biden. During the discussion, Kishida discussed the rising tensions around the world as well as how Japan’s foreign policy is acclimating to the new geopolitical environment.
Violence Against Political Candidates Threatens Mexican Democracy
In the lead-up to Mexico's largest election, a wave of violence against political candidates has cast a shadow over the country's democratic process. The targeting of candidates by organized crime groups seeking to influence the outcome of elections has raised serious concerns about the integrity of the electoral process and the safety of those participating in it.
A Rocket That Has Lost Its Fuel
The market has, by all means, had a great start to the year. Nvidia has doubled. The Dow has repeatedly come close to breaching a historic 40,000 level. The Nasdaq has risen 11%. The S&P has risen by close to 10%.
But there’s an important catch to this market rally.
South Korea’s 2024 Elections: What to Know
People across the world have already started eyeing the U.S. presidential race between Joe Biden and Donald Trump, but there’s another high-stakes election across the Pacific. On April 10, South Korea will elect a new National Assembly, the country’s 300-member unicameral legislature. The results will in large part indicate citizens’ satisfaction with President Yoon Suk Yeol, elected in 2022, and his conservative People Power Party (PPP), while also testing the mettle of the main opposition, the more liberal Democratic Party (DP), which seeks to keep Yoon from gaining momentum as it looks ahead to the 2027 presidential election.
China & Russia Seek Closer Security Cooperation Amidst Growing American Influence
On Tuesday, April 9, Chinese State Official Wang Yi hosted his Russian counterpart Minister Sergey Lavrov in Beijing for talks on economic and security cooperation. The new cooperative measures are set to displace American influence in Asia and Europe, the United States’ most strategically important region and former most strategically important region, according to political scientist and professor John Mearsheimer.