According to the Colombian Mining Information System (Simco), 56 countries purchase Colombian minerals, including China, the United States, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, South Korea, and several European nations.

After 50 years of service, Great Britain has replaced Rapier, its old system of air defense, with Sky Sabre, “a new generation [of] ground-based air defense” on the Falkland Islands, provoking an angry response from the Argentinian government in the ongoing controversy over who has the right to govern the Falkland Islands or Islas Malvinas,

Venezuela, “following in Iran’s footsteps,” is attempting to ignore U.S. sanctions on its oil industry and “once again develop its substantial crude reserves.”

China is working to expand its influence across Latin America and the Caribbean.

The European Council recently prioritized the European Union’s agenda for the United Nations human rights forums, taking place later this year.

As president-elect of Honduras, Xiomara Castro, “the first woman president of the country and an icon of the left-wing progressive parties of Latin America, promised during her campaign that her administration would cut diplomatic ties with Taiwan and establish full relations with Beijing, as recently happened in neighboring Nicaragua.”

To position itself as a world power, China’s foreign policy has focused on dynamic economic growth through investments abroad.

Before visiting Chinese leader Xi Jinping, President Alberto Fernández plans to visit Russia’s Vladimir Putin to discuss the “strategic relations between the two countries.”

The United States and European Union have broadened pressure on Nicaragua with economic sanctions and travel bans “as strongman Daniel Ortega began a fourth term as president following a widely-criticized election.”

Spanish President Pedro Sánchez declared that no Spanish representatives will be present for the inauguration of Nicaragua’s Daniel Ortega.