https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/rss/525186/feed The United States attacked Venezuela on January 3, 2026, abducted its leader Nicolas Maduro and his wife and placed them in detention in New York, in what was the most direct US military action in Latin America in nearly four decades. en https://assets-v2.i-scmp.com/production/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg Reuters Reuters Venezuelan opposition ⁠leader Maria Corina Machado was greeted by tens of thousands of cheering supporters as she made ⁠her way by car to Caracas on Sunday night, after she arrived home following several failed return attempts which have strained her ties with US President Donald Trump’s administration. “This country is giving lessons to everyone,” she shouted as her convoy entered the capital, leaning out of the sunroof to shake hands and hug raucous supporters. Nobel Peace Prize laureate... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3372094/venezuelas-opposition-leader-maria-corina-machado-returns-after-months-exile https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3372094/venezuelas-opposition-leader-maria-corina-machado-returns-after-months-exile Sun, 25 Oct 2026 19:31:04 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick Dozens of Air China passengers stranded in Cuba by successive cancellations were due to fly out on an extra flight on Monday, as a US oil embargo deepens the island’s energy crisis. The disruption has hit one of Cuba’s last direct air links to Europe, the Chinese carrier’s twice-weekly route between Beijing and Havana via Madrid. Air China added flight CA590 for travellers whose regular CA866 service was cancelled before October 10, the Chinese embassy said in a notice on Sunday. The flight was... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/article/3371426/chinas-flag-carrier-scrambles-fly-stranded-passengers-out-fuel-starved-cuba https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/article/3371426/chinas-flag-carrier-scrambles-fly-stranded-passengers-out-fuel-starved-cuba Mon, 19 Oct 2026 19:44:08 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Former Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro insisted in court on Thursday that newly unsealed torture allegations against him and his wife were “false accusations”. Maduro and Cilia Flores, both shackled at the ankles, were brought to court to face a rewritten indictment that expands from an initial set of drug trafficking charges to accuse them of leading a state-sponsored repression campaign that tortured scores of victims, including three Americans. Maduro twice defied a judge’s request that... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3371060/venezuelas-maduro-says-new-us-torture-allegations-are-false https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3371060/venezuelas-maduro-says-new-us-torture-allegations-are-false Thu, 15 Oct 2026 16:32:27 +0000 Reuters Reuters US prosecutors on Thursday charged ousted Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores with conspiring to torture political opponents and American citizens, adding to the drug trafficking case the couple already faced. Separately, US District Judge Alvin Hellerstein, who is overseeing the case, denied a request by Flores to be released from jail due to health concerns ahead of a trial scheduled for next year. Maduro, 63, and Flores, 69, were captured on January 3 in their... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3370241/venezuelas-maduro-and-wife-flores-tortured-us-citizens-stay-power-us-prosecutors https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3370241/venezuelas-maduro-and-wife-flores-tortured-us-citizens-stay-power-us-prosecutors Thu, 08 Oct 2026 20:10:26 +0000 Reuters Reuters Ousted Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores are expected to face new criminal charges ‌in the United States over allegations that Americans detained in Venezuela were tortured, a US official said on Wednesday. The new charges could come as soon as Thursday, according to the official, who was briefed on the investigation. Maduro, who led Venezuela for 13 years, and Flores were captured by the US military from their home in Caracas on January 3 and brought to New York ⁠to... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3370104/venezuelas-maduro-face-new-us-charges-over-alleged-torture-americans-official-says https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3370104/venezuelas-maduro-face-new-us-charges-over-alleged-torture-americans-official-says Wed, 07 Oct 2026 20:58:12 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have selected seven of the most interesting and important news stories covering Latin American relations from the past few weeks. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. China pledges to ‘firmly support’ Cuba as US escalates pressure on Havana China will stand by Cuba in defending its sovereignty and resisting outside interference, foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said as Washington stepped up its campaign to force political change in Havana. Read... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3369252/china-backs-cuba-beijings-panama-threat-new-un-chief-7-latin-america-relations-reads https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3369252/china-backs-cuba-beijings-panama-threat-new-un-chief-7-latin-america-relations-reads Thu, 01 Oct 2026 14:00:14 +0000 Reuters Reuters Venezuela’s interim ⁠President Delcy Rodriguez told the UN ⁠General Assembly on Wednesday that the country would hold ⁠elections as part of a transition to “full democracy”, but did not give a specific date for the vote. “I want to make this very clear at this General Assembly: there will be elections in Venezuela,” said Rodriguez, who came to power after American forces captured then-President Nicolas Maduro in a January raid. Rodriguez said the government had initiated talks with the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3368582/un-venezuelas-interim-president-promises-elections-without-setting-date https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3368582/un-venezuelas-interim-president-promises-elections-without-setting-date Thu, 24 Sep 2026 02:29:14 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado made three attempts over a 24-hour span to return home, but was unable to complete the journey. Machado sought to travel from Panama to Venezuela by different routes, according to a person with direct knowledge of her plans. The attempts came as acting President Delcy Rodriguez visited New York for the United Nations General Assembly, where she met with US President Donald Trump. The efforts included plans to travel by boat and to fly to the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3368468/exiled-opposition-leader-tries-enter-venezuela-rodriguez-meets-trump-us https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3368468/exiled-opposition-leader-tries-enter-venezuela-rodriguez-meets-trump-us Wed, 23 Sep 2026 04:45:11 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Venezuela’s former first lady wants to be let out of jail while she and her husband await trial on US drug-trafficking charges. Cilia Flores, the wife of ex-Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, “deserves the opportunity to await her trial while on home confinement” while dealing with a heart condition that has only got worse since she has been in jail, her lawyers wrote in court papers filed on Wednesday. The lawyers, Mark Donnelly and Andres Sanchez, asked a judge to allow her to leave a... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3367109/maduro-trial-ex-venezuela-first-lady-seeks-release-us-jail-citing-heart-problems https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3367109/maduro-trial-ex-venezuela-first-lady-seeks-release-us-jail-citing-heart-problems Thu, 10 Sep 2026 22:03:51 +0000 Wenran Jiang Wenran Jiang When US President Donald Trump announced on August 28 that the United States had secured majority control over some 65 billion barrels of Venezuelan oil through a private company, the North American Blue Energy Partners (NABEP), he called it “the biggest oil deal in history”. The White House fact sheet provided the details: NABEP’s 100-year concessions on 17 oilfields with 65 billion barrels of proven reserves, a 35 per cent Pentagon stake, a 20 per cent State Department offtake at cost with... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3366521/trumps-venezuela-oil-deal-why-china-can-wait-and-watch https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3366521/trumps-venezuela-oil-deal-why-china-can-wait-and-watch Tue, 08 Sep 2026 21:30:06 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Colombia on Tuesday to meet President Abelardo de la Espriella, sign agreements on critical minerals and civil nuclear cooperation and take up the country’s ties to China, in the first visit by a cabinet-level US official since the Colombian leader took office a month ago. Colombia’s participation in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and Chinese investment in critical infrastructure were on the agenda for the meeting, a Colombian official... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3366833/us-secretary-state-rubio-arrives-colombia-clarify-china-ties-sign-minerals-deal https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3366833/us-secretary-state-rubio-arrives-colombia-clarify-china-ties-sign-minerals-deal Tue, 08 Sep 2026 19:53:40 +0000 Reuters Reuters Ousted Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro urged a US judge on Wednesday to dismiss criminal drug trafficking charges against him, arguing he should be immune from prosecution as the head of a sovereign country. The charges, filed in Manhattan federal court, formed the basis for the US military’s raid on Caracas and capture of Maduro on January 3. The Venezuelan leader, who has been held ‌in a Brooklyn federal jail since his seizure, has pleaded not guilty and is scheduled to go on trial on June... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3366178/venezuelas-maduro-seeks-dismissal-us-charges-citing-immunity https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3366178/venezuelas-maduro-seeks-dismissal-us-charges-citing-immunity Thu, 03 Sep 2026 03:45:24 +0000 Xinyi Wu Xinyi Wu A US-backed company’s takeover of Venezuelan oilfields, some of which were previously managed by Chinese firms, has dealt a blow to Beijing’s oil-backed loans and yuan trade networks, analysts say. Through North American Blue Energy Partners (NABEP), a private company, the White House said the US had secured access to oilfields with 65 billion barrels of proven reserves in Venezuela – around one-fifth of the Latin American country’s total supply – including sites previously operated by Chinese... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3366119/direct-hit-china-dealt-blow-us-backed-firm-takes-over-venezuelan-oilfields https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/china-economy/article/3366119/direct-hit-china-dealt-blow-us-backed-firm-takes-over-venezuelan-oilfields Wed, 02 Sep 2026 14:00:07 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press President Donald Trump on Friday said the US had entered an agreement with Venezuela to take control of 65 billion barrels of the South American country’s oil reserves. Trump in a social media post announced the agreement he said was negotiated by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodriguez. “The United States of America has just entered into an Agreement with the Country of Venezuela on, THE BIGGEST OIL DEAL IN WORLD HISTORY!”... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3365672/trump-says-us-has-deal-venezuela-control-65-billion-barrels-oil-reserves https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3365672/trump-says-us-has-deal-venezuela-control-65-billion-barrels-oil-reserves Fri, 28 Aug 2026 23:41:23 +0000 Teresa Elena Frontado Teresa Elena Frontado The United States is opening Venezuela’s telecommunications sector to new investment and technology while explicitly excluding Chinese companies, a move that could reshape a market where Huawei and ZTE have become deeply embedded and give Western suppliers an opening as the country expands its 5G networks. The US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on Friday issued two general licences easing some sanctions restrictions on Venezuela’s telecommunications sector,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3365115/us-targets-chinas-telecoms-grip-venezuela-new-sanctions-carve-out https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3365115/us-targets-chinas-telecoms-grip-venezuela-new-sanctions-carve-out Mon, 24 Aug 2026 20:23:21 +0000 Teresa Elena Frontado Teresa Elena Frontado Venezuelan interim President Delcy Rodriguez’s tribute to Fidel Castro has drawn a blistering rebuke from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, highlighting the political tensions surrounding Caracas’ rapprochement with Washington even as China seeks to preserve its economic interests in the South American country. Rodriguez marked the centenary of the late Cuban leader’s birth this week by praising Castro as a figure who “transcends time” and invoking his commitment to sovereignty, social justice... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3364122/delcy-rodriguezs-castro-tribute-tests-venezuelas-balancing-act-between-us-and-china https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3364122/delcy-rodriguezs-castro-tribute-tests-venezuelas-balancing-act-between-us-and-china Fri, 14 Aug 2026 22:45:52 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Israel and Venezuela announced on Tuesday that they had renewed consular relations 17 years after diplomatic ties were severed between the two countries. The move comes after Israel sent an aid and disaster response delegation to Venezuela in June following devastating twin earthquakes that left thousands dead. It also follows the United States’ toppling of Venezuela’s former leader Nicolas Maduro in a January military raid, with interim President Delcy Rodriguez now running the country under... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3363703/israel-and-venezuela-renew-consular-ties-after-17-years-no-diplomacy https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3363703/israel-and-venezuela-renew-consular-ties-after-17-years-no-diplomacy Tue, 11 Aug 2026 18:43:46 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo In America today, many low-income workers and households can’t get adequate healthcare or pay for food. Depending on who you ask, medical costs are the number one cause or at least among the top causes of bankruptcy for families. This is despite the United States spending more on healthcare per capita than any developed economy within the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and having the most advanced medical science and technology in the world. Healthcare is one good... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3362331/despite-immense-power-us-delivers-neither-butter-nor-bullets https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3362331/despite-immense-power-us-delivers-neither-butter-nor-bullets Fri, 31 Jul 2026 12:30:09 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Venezuelan Nobel Peace Prize laureate and opposition leader Maria Corina Machado said Sunday she will not participate in US-backed talks with the de facto government of Delcy Rodriguez that are scheduled for August. In a statement co-signed by Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, who ran for president in Venezuela’s 2024 elections, Machado said the opposition would “not participate” in the “design, development and operation” of the talks. In mid-July, Rodriguez’s interim government and a group of former... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3361923/venezuela-opposition-leader-machado-says-she-will-not-take-part-us-backed-talks https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3361923/venezuela-opposition-leader-machado-says-she-will-not-take-part-us-backed-talks Sun, 26 Jul 2026 23:05:30 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Cuba held a traditional rally on Sunday to commemorate one of the revolution’s most important anniversaries but former president Raul Castro was conspicuously absent. It was the first time in at least 30 years that 95-year-old Castro had not attended the event, and no explanation was given. President Miguel Diaz-Canel read a congratulatory message from Castro to his compatriots at the rally, held in the eastern city of Pinar del Río. The annual event commemorates the July 26, 1953 assault led by... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3361919/raul-castro-absent-cuba-celebrates-anniversary-key-revolutionary-attack https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3361919/raul-castro-absent-cuba-celebrates-anniversary-key-revolutionary-attack Sun, 26 Jul 2026 19:20:09 +0000 Reuters Reuters A judge on Wednesday set a June 1, 2027, trial date for ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores on US drug-trafficking charges, while a defence lawyer vowed to seek dismissal of the case on the grounds that Maduro is immune from prosecution as the head of a sovereign state. Maduro and his wife, wearing beige prison garb, appeared during a hearing lasting about ‌20 minutes in Manhattan federal court before District Judge Alvin Hellerstein in one of the most... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/politics/article/3361487/venezuelas-maduro-wife-due-back-us-court-drug-trafficking-case https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/politics/article/3361487/venezuelas-maduro-wife-due-back-us-court-drug-trafficking-case Wed, 22 Jul 2026 10:55:52 +0000 Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Shortly before US President Donald Trump ended a ceasefire with Iran this week, Israeli officials presented his team with intelligence indicating Tehran was hatching new plots to kill him. It was not the first such warning. US law enforcement and intelligence agencies have tracked evidence for years of Iranian efforts to target the president, with signals only increasing since the start of the war. Their desire to target Trump and his top aides began six years ago, just outside Baghdad... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3360251/assassinations-unleashed-under-trump-haunt-iran-war-endgame https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3360251/assassinations-unleashed-under-trump-haunt-iran-war-endgame Sat, 11 Jul 2026 19:38:14 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Cuba on Monday suffered its third nationwide power outage since the start of the year, causing mounting despair in the face of an energy collapse precipitated by a US fuel blockade. The communist island was already struggling to keep the lights on before US President Donald Trump in January cut off its oil supplies, depleting the dwindling supply of fuel for its power plants. Union Electrica (UNE), the state electricity company, announced a “total disconnection” to the entire island at midday,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3359687/more-hardship-fuel-starved-cuba-hit-third-nationwide-blackout-year https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3359687/more-hardship-fuel-starved-cuba-hit-third-nationwide-blackout-year Tue, 07 Jul 2026 05:07:30 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have selected seven of the most interesting and important news stories covering Latin American relations from the past few weeks. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. ‘I will sell to someone else’: Brazil’s Lula hits back at US after China beef win Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva thanked China for clearing the country’s beef of foot-and-mouth disease and fired a barb at US President Donald Trump, saying “I will sell to someone else”,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/article/3359081/aftermath-venezuelas-earthquake-china-colombia-ties-7-latin-america-relations-reads https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/article/3359081/aftermath-venezuelas-earthquake-china-colombia-ties-7-latin-america-relations-reads Thu, 02 Jul 2026 14:30:11 +0000 Fan Chen,Vanessa Cai Fan Chen,Vanessa Cai Wu Xinbo is the dean of the Institute of International Studies at Fudan University in Shanghai and a leading Chinese researcher on the US. In this interview, he analyses how shifts in US foreign policy are changing the relationship between the two countries. SCMP Plus readers get early access to articles in the Open Questions series. As the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary, how do you assess US foreign policy and the future direction of its relations with China? Simply put, US... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3359161/sun-setting-us-dominance-world-scholar-wu-xinbo-says https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3359161/sun-setting-us-dominance-world-scholar-wu-xinbo-says Thu, 02 Jul 2026 08:11:35 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press More than 100 people just deported from the United States were being held in a hotel when earthquakes struck Venezuela, setting off a scramble to find survivors and bodies buried in the rubble, according to survivors. A deportation flight from Miami arrived in Venezuela hours before Wednesday’s earthquakes. On board were 146 Venezuelans, including 19 women and seven children, according to ICE Flight Monitor, an initiative of Human Rights First, which tracks deportation flights. They were... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3358816/over-100-venezuelans-deported-us-hours-earthquakes-are-missing https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3358816/over-100-venezuelans-deported-us-hours-earthquakes-are-missing Mon, 29 Jun 2026 22:02:53 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse An 11-year-old boy was rescued from the rubble more than three days after twin earthquakes struck Venezuela, as rescuers on Saturday raced to find survivors and the death toll reached 1,430. Tens of thousands of people were reported missing as collapsed buildings dotted cities in a country already enduring an economic crisis and political upheaval after US special forces captured authoritarian leader Nicolas Maduro in January. Millions of people were also feared to lack sanitation and other... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3358619/venezuela-quakes-kill-almost-1500-millions-more-need https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3358619/venezuela-quakes-kill-almost-1500-millions-more-need Sat, 27 Jun 2026 19:02:52 +0000 Ji Siqi Ji Siqi The United States represents the primary obstacle to continuing oil-for-loan arrangements between China and Venezuela, analysts say, creating a significant wild card in what ranks among the largest debt restructurings in history. Following Washington’s abduction in January of Venezuela’s then president, Nicolas Maduro, Caracas is set to reveal a US$240 billion debt pile, according to a Financial Times report on Wednesday. The disclosure, expected in the coming weeks, rivals the €200 billion... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/global-economy/article/3358502/venezuela-chinas-oil-loan-deals-run-debt-restructuring-us-gatekeeper-risk https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/global-economy/article/3358502/venezuela-chinas-oil-loan-deals-run-debt-restructuring-us-gatekeeper-risk Fri, 26 Jun 2026 13:00:05 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Venezuelans searched for survivors beneath collapsed buildings on Thursday and rescue teams raced to northern areas rocked by a pair of powerful earthquakes that officials say killed at least 235 people and left some 4,300 injured. The number of dead and injured is expected to rise with thousands reported missing from the 7.2 and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes that struck Wednesday evening – among the strongest in Venezuela in more than a century and felt throughout the region. The previous reported... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3358404/venezuelans-search-rubble-survivors-after-twin-earthquakes-kill-least-188 https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3358404/venezuelans-search-rubble-survivors-after-twin-earthquakes-kill-least-188 Thu, 25 Jun 2026 20:33:55 +0000 Teresa Elena Frontado Teresa Elena Frontado The United States is mounting a large-scale humanitarian operation in Venezuela after twin earthquakes devastated the South American country, putting to the test Washington’s role as the most influential international partner in the country’s post-Maduro transition. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington was deploying search-and-rescue teams, military logistics and humanitarian help after Wednesday’s magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 earthquakes, which have killed at least 235 people and injured... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/diplomacy/article/3358393/us-led-relief-effort-puts-washingtons-post-maduro-strategy-venezuela-test https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/diplomacy/article/3358393/us-led-relief-effort-puts-washingtons-post-maduro-strategy-venezuela-test Thu, 25 Jun 2026 16:25:27 +0000 Zhou Bo Zhou Bo The war in Iran is effectively over. Although the dust has yet to settle, some lessons are already visible. First, US President Donald Trump has waged a personal war at the world’s expense. Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu warned that arms are ill-omened tools, employed only as a last resort. Trump, who has admitted he doesn’t like to read, may not realise this. Few people know why he ordered a strike on Iran. Maybe kidnapping president Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela was too easy or Israeli Prime... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3358040/8-takeaways-us-iran-war https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3358040/8-takeaways-us-iran-war Wed, 24 Jun 2026 21:30:05 +0000 Teresa Elena Frontado Teresa Elena Frontado The Trump administration expanded its sanctions campaign against Cuba on Tuesday, targeting a state-owned mining company and other key economic entities in a move that comes as Washington seeks to build alternative supply chains for critical minerals and reduce reliance on geopolitical rivals. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced sanctions against five entities and one individual, including state-owned mining company GeoMinera, which oversees foreign-backed mining ventures and manages... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3358112/us-targets-cuba-mining-sector-move-implications-china-linked-supply-chains https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3358112/us-targets-cuba-mining-sector-move-implications-china-linked-supply-chains Tue, 23 Jun 2026 20:33:24 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Monday that her country seeks to restart oil shipments to Cuba soon, a move that could provide much-needed relief as the island’s crises deepen given a lack of petroleum. Sheinbaum said her administration would seek to send the oil via commercial and privately owned firms instead of state-owned companies as it has done in the past. Mexico became a key fuel supplier to Cuba after the US attacked Venezuela in early January and halted critical oil... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3357970/mexican-president-seeks-restart-oil-shipments-cuba-islands-crises-deepen https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3357970/mexican-president-seeks-restart-oil-shipments-cuba-islands-crises-deepen Mon, 22 Jun 2026 17:57:03 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Cuban lawmakers on Thursday adopted nearly 200 historic free-market reforms aimed at rescuing the communist island from a severe crisis aggravated by a US oil blockade. In a landmark speech to the National Assembly, Prime Minister Manuel Marrero unveiled 176 measures aimed at rolling back the state’s role in the economy and attracting investment in everything from banking to tourism and agriculture. Under the reforms, foreign investors were no longer required to form joint ventures with the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3357626/cuba-unveils-historic-package-free-market-reforms https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3357626/cuba-unveils-historic-package-free-market-reforms Thu, 18 Jun 2026 22:14:52 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press President Donald Trump said late on Friday that a “swift and lethal kinetic” US strike has killed Tren de Aragua gang leader Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores. “At my direction, ‌the United States Southern Command delivered a swift and lethal kinetic strike to successfully execute Nino Guerrero, the infamous leader of Tren De Aragua, one of the most bloodthirsty Terrorist Organisations on Planet,” Trump said in a post ⁠on Truth Social on Friday evening, referring to Guerrero Flores by his... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3356982/us-strike-kills-leader-venezuelan-prison-gang-trump https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3356982/us-strike-kills-leader-venezuelan-prison-gang-trump Sat, 13 Jun 2026 01:31:06 +0000 Teresa Elena Frontado Teresa Elena Frontado The Trump administration on Thursday imposed sanctions on Cuba’s state-owned oil and gas company, escalating pressure on Havana’s communist government and targeting a sector central to the island’s worsening energy crisis. The move came hours after senior Chinese and Cuban officials held a video conference to discuss bilateral cooperation and party-to-party ties. According to statements released by Chinese and Cuban officials, the talks involved Liu Haixing, head of the International Department... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/diplomacy/article/3356814/us-targets-cuba-oil-giant-china-and-havana-deepen-party-ties https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/diplomacy/article/3356814/us-targets-cuba-oil-giant-china-and-havana-deepen-party-ties Thu, 11 Jun 2026 19:57:56 +0000 Amber Wang Amber Wang Any US military attack on Cuba would most likely take place this summer, according to a Chinese defence technology company closely tracking US military movements around the island. The assessment by Jingan Technology, a civilian start-up founded in 2021 in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, said that if the US were to use force against Cuba, it would most likely take the form of a rapid “decapitation and paralysis” operation aimed at regime change, rather than a large-scale invasion. The company uses... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3356143/summer-most-likely-window-us-attack-cuba-chinese-defence-tech-firm-says https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3356143/summer-most-likely-window-us-attack-cuba-chinese-defence-tech-firm-says Fri, 05 Jun 2026 14:00:14 +0000 Igor Patrick,Dewey Sim Igor Patrick,Dewey Sim China accused the United States of using “invented allegations” to justify its terrorism case against Cuba, after Secretary of State Marco Rubio told senators he needed no new evidence to tie the island to violent leftist groups across the western hemisphere. Foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Thursday that Washington could not justify its blockade and sanctions against the island, adding that the decades-old embargo had wrecked Cuba’s economy. “China firmly supports Cuba in... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/article/3356016/china-says-us-invented-terrorism-charges-justify-cuba-blockade https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/article/3356016/china-says-us-invented-terrorism-charges-justify-cuba-blockade Thu, 04 Jun 2026 21:51:58 +0000 Juan Fernando Herrera Ramos Juan Fernando Herrera Ramos For over two decades, China’s rise in Latin America has been viewed as one of the most significant geopolitical developments in the western hemisphere. Through trade, investment, infrastructure projects and diplomatic engagement, Beijing built a presence that would have been difficult to imagine at the beginning of the century. The strategy appeared highly successful. Beijing became a leading trading partner for much of the region, financed major projects, expanded its diplomatic footprint and... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3355628/why-chinas-latin-america-ties-arent-immune-trumps-influence https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3355628/why-chinas-latin-america-ties-arent-immune-trumps-influence Thu, 04 Jun 2026 12:30:07 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A shipment of nearly 15,000 tonnes of rice donated by the Chinese government to Cuba has arrived at the port of Havana, the island’s president said on Sunday. The shipment is the first batch of a promised 60,000 tonnes that China says it will donate to Cuba, which is grappling with dire shortages. “That noble gesture of solidarity will reach millions of consumers throughout all the provinces and the special municipality of Isla de la Juventud, in addition to our health and education... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3354703/cuba-receives-15000-tonne-shipment-rice-donated-china https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3354703/cuba-receives-15000-tonne-shipment-rice-donated-china Sun, 24 May 2026 19:53:34 +0000 Teresa Elena Frontado Teresa Elena Frontado One day after the United States brought criminal charges against former Cuban leader Raul Castro over the 1996 shooting down of two civilian aircraft, President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio portrayed Cuba as both a growing national security threat tied to China and Russia, and a candidate for a negotiated political transition. The comments came amid renewed friction between Washington and Beijing over Cuba after China criticised the US charges against Castro and accused... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/diplomacy/article/3354434/us-casts-cuba-china-linked-security-threat-while-still-pushing-talks https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/diplomacy/article/3354434/us-casts-cuba-china-linked-security-threat-while-still-pushing-talks Thu, 21 May 2026 21:16:06 +0000 Teresa Elena Frontado Teresa Elena Frontado The United States announced on Wednesday criminal charges against former Cuban leader Raul Castro over his alleged role in the 1996 downing of two civilian aircraft operated by the Miami-based exile group Brothers to the Rescue, an incident that killed four people. The indictment, unsealed by acting US Attorney General Todd Blanche in Miami, includes charges of conspiracy to kill US nationals, destruction of an aircraft, and four individual counts of murder against the 94-year-old brother of... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/diplomacy/article/3354286/us-charges-raul-castro-trump-administration-ratchets-pressure-cuba https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/diplomacy/article/3354286/us-charges-raul-castro-trump-administration-ratchets-pressure-cuba Wed, 20 May 2026 17:47:12 +0000 Teresa Elena Frontado Teresa Elena Frontado The United States is expected to unseal criminal charges against former Cuban leader Raul Castro on Wednesday in a move that could further deepen tensions between Washington and Havana and inject new strain into an already volatile regional relationship. Multiple US media outlets, citing US Justice Department sources, have reported that federal prosecutors in Miami are preparing an indictment tied to Cuba’s 1996 shooting down of two civilian aircraft operated by the Miami-based exile group... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/diplomacy/article/3354149/us-plans-charge-raul-castro-increases-trump-administrations-pressure-cuba https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/diplomacy/article/3354149/us-plans-charge-raul-castro-increases-trump-administrations-pressure-cuba Tue, 19 May 2026 20:03:59 +0000 Reuters Reuters US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said Cuba was asking for help and “we are going to talk”, without providing any more detail. “No Republican ‌has ever spoken to me about Cuba, which is a failed country and only heading in one direction – down! Cuba is asking for help, and we are going to talk!!! In the ⁠meantime, I’m off to China!” Trump wrote on social media. Representatives for the White House and the State Department could not be immediately reached ‌for comment. Representatives for... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3353311/trump-says-cuba-seeking-help-will-hold-talks https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3353311/trump-says-cuba-seeking-help-will-hold-talks Tue, 12 May 2026 13:31:48 +0000 Teresa Elena Frontado Teresa Elena Frontado The Trump administration has expanded its pressure campaign against Cuba into the critical minerals sector, sanctioning a nickel joint venture tied to Canadian miner Sherritt International in a move that could reverberate through China-linked battery supply chains. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced sanctions on Thursday against Moa Nickel SA, a joint venture between Sherritt and Cuba’s state-owned General Nickel Company, as part of a broader effort targeting Havana’s military-controlled... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352815/us-targets-cuba-nickel-operation-move-implications-china-linked-supply-chains https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352815/us-targets-cuba-nickel-operation-move-implications-china-linked-supply-chains Thu, 07 May 2026 18:15:08 +0000 Dewey Sim Dewey Sim Beijing’s study of the wars in Iran and Ukraine could sharpen its ability to wage information warfare against Americans during a Taiwan Strait conflict, exposing vulnerabilities in US preparedness, experts said on Wednesday. S. Clinton Hinote, a retired US Lieutenant General, said he was “impressed” with the propaganda coming out of Iran since the outbreak of the war in February, warning that Beijing would deploy similar tactics if conflict erupts over Taiwan. “That’s coming,” he told a... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352811/chinas-use-propaganda-may-outwit-us-if-taiwan-conflict-arises-experts-warn https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352811/chinas-use-propaganda-may-outwit-us-if-taiwan-conflict-arises-experts-warn Thu, 07 May 2026 17:00:29 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have selected seven of the most interesting and important news stories covering Latin American relations from the past few weeks. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Chile exposes smuggling ring that shipped US$917m in stolen copper to China Chinese buyers were the end destination of a five-year smuggling pipeline that drained an estimated US$917 million worth of stolen copper from Chile, authorities said in April after police dismantled the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351914/beijing-backs-cuba-brazil-slams-byd-slave-labour-conditions-latin-america-relations-reads https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351914/beijing-backs-cuba-brazil-slams-byd-slave-labour-conditions-latin-america-relations-reads Fri, 01 May 2026 15:00:09 +0000 Teresa Elena Frontado Teresa Elena Frontado With Congress again failing to curb US President Donald Trump’s authority over Cuba, the centre of gravity in US policy towards the island is shifting decisively back to the White House – and to a narrower, more consequential question: what comes next? Tuesday’s 51-47 Senate vote to block a Democratic-led war powers resolution on Cuba does not change policy on its own. It was widely expected, reflecting a long-standing pattern in which Congress has struggled to assert its war powers authority... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/diplomacy/article/3352085/senate-vote-leaves-cubas-uncertain-future-dangerous-crossroads https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/diplomacy/article/3352085/senate-vote-leaves-cubas-uncertain-future-dangerous-crossroads Thu, 30 Apr 2026 20:39:15 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The first direct commercial flight between the United States and Venezuela departed a bit early on Thursday on its way to the capital of the South American country, seven years after the US Homeland Security Department ordered an indefinite suspension, citing security concerns. The resumption of a commercial flight between the two countries comes months after the US capture of then-president Nicolas Maduro in a stunning night-time raid on his residence in Caracas in early January. It also comes... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3352078/first-direct-us-venezuela-commercial-flight-7-years-heads-caracas https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3352078/first-direct-us-venezuela-commercial-flight-7-years-heads-caracas Thu, 30 Apr 2026 15:00:52 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A US special forces soldier involved in the military operation to capture former Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro has been charged with using classified information about the mission to win more than US$400,000 in an online betting market, federal officials announced on Thursday. Gannon Ken Van Dyke was part of the operation to capture Maduro in January and used his access to classified information to make money on the prediction market site Polymarket, the federal prosecutor’s office in New... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3351220/us-soldier-charged-using-inside-info-win-us400000-bet-maduros-capture https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3351220/us-soldier-charged-using-inside-info-win-us400000-bet-maduros-capture Thu, 23 Apr 2026 22:29:41 +0000