Research Library

Geopolitical risks in Russia/Ukraine and Middle East have increased the importance of Latin America’s hydrocarbon reserves and its contribution to global energy security. Growth in the region’s oil production and its prospects for increased global natural gas exports both underscore the need for U.S. and the region governments’ policies that favor the development of Latin America’s hydrocarbons potential as well as significant investments in its decarbonization efforts, writes fellow Francisco J. Monaldi.

Francisco J. Monaldi discusses what Venezuela’s post-election chaos means for the country’s troubled oil sector and its relations with the United States.

After seven years of steady decline and an accumulated drop of 25%, Latin America’s crude oil production has recovered by more than 9% over the past two years, thanks to significant growth in Guyana and Brazil and smaller increases in Argentina and Venezuela. Francisco J. Monaldi walks us through these developments and what could be ahead for the region.

Despite its uncertain future in the context of energy transitions, oil remains the largest global energy source, and oil markets will continue to demand attention in the near term given their economic and geopolitical impacts. Mark Finley discusses global oil production, demand, and implications.

Emerging artificial intelligence (AI) tools could prove an important contributor to successfully decarbonizing energy. Christopher Bronk discusses how they can enhance our ability to process and understand extensive data streams in energy, policy, technology, and geopolitics, which could transform the way we process information and assess regional and global situations in real time.

The EU’s withdrawal from the Energy Charter Treaty may foreshadow an eventual end to investor-state dispute settlement (ISDI) — a legal mechanism that permits foreign investors to sue a country over actions that harm their investments. A report by fellow David A. Gantz outlines the history of ISDI provisions in global trade agreements and examines what ISDI’s end might mean for the future of investment and trade in the U.S., EU, and other nations.

Although the media often portrays migration at the U.S.-Mexico border as a “crisis,” experts Kelsey Norman and Ana Martín Gil argue that this depiction lacks nuance and sidesteps possible solutions. This report provides a more realistic view of the situation and offers key policy recommendations.

While many countries are reluctant to accept and integrate refugees, Mexico and Brazil have established effective ways to welcome and absorb refugees through relocation programs. In her new brief, nonresident scholar Elizabeth Ferris outlines how these initiatives promote a win-win scenario by finding solutions that not only enhance refugee protection and well-being but also cater to domestic labor needs.

OPEC+ cuts — including additional voluntary cuts, most importantly by Saudi Arabia — look set to significantly tighten the oil market this year.

The Mexico Country Outlook 2024 analyzes key policy issues ahead of Mexico’s June 2024 elections, from foreign investment and regulatory challenges to migration and public security.