Friday Reading List - 6 March 2026
I regret to inform you that initial indications are that March will somehow be busier than January.
Good morning from Bogota. Heading back to the US tomorrow.
This week’s articles and newsletters
WPR - U.S.-Mexico Cooperation on the El Mencho Raid Obscures Deeper Divides
Monday - Five comments on how the Iran conflict will impact Latin America
Tuesday - The Kingpin Strategy of Everything
Wednesday - US military in Ecuador
Thursday - Venezuela notes - On gold sales, potential elections, and whether the ministry of defense will ever change leadership.
I published every day this week despite traveling and working on other things. I hope to pull it off again next week. Thanks to everyone who subscribes and supports this newsletter. It’s $90 per year for individuals and $350 per year for institutions.
Reading List
The Hill - Mexico’s Chaos Is Disrupting North American Free Trade
The Guardian - ‘Iron River’: Mexico’s Cartel Violence Fuelled by Trafficked Firearms From US
Reuters - Mexico Steps Up Investigations Into Fuel Smuggling by Drug Cartels
Reuters - Mexico’s Security Chief: El Mencho Killing Was Personal
Animal Político - Bajan homicidios, suben ‘delitos contra la vida’ y desapariciones; el gobierno federal cambia la metodología
Lawfare - El Mencho’s Death and the Kingpin Strategy Paradox
OCCRP - Fear Is the Message: How the Jalisco New Generation Cartel Weaponized Algorithms to Paralyze Mexico
InSight Crime - Is Brazil’s Biggest Port Winning the Fight Against Drug Traffickers?
Reuters - Brazil Rocked by Probe of Central Bankers Aiding Failed Banco Master
La Silla Vacía - Lo que se juegan las encuestadoras en las elecciones de marzo 2026
El Espectador - Por primera vez, FARC acepta que reclutó a más de 18.000 niños y sometió a abusos sexuales
New York Times - Why Ecuador Invited the U.S. Military to Help With Its Drug Gangs
The Diplomat - Peru’s Political Crisis Shows How China Could Militarily Use the Port of Chancay Against the US
Bolivia Brief - Lithium: Bolivia Is Losing a Race Against Time
Americas Quarterly - In Bolivia, Rodrigo Paz Faces an Electoral Stress Test
Bloomberg - Milei’s Insults Energize His Base. Investors, Not So Much
The Economist - Javier Milei Aggressively Celebrates a String of Successes
Americas Quarterly - Uruguay’s Orsi Confronts Economic Headwinds and Shifting Geopolitics
The Guardian - Dismay as Hegseth Urges Latin American Allies to Join ‘Offense’ Against Cartels
AP News - Trump Takes Forceful Steps to Pressure Latin American Leaders to Reduce China Ties
UPI - Strategic Implications of the War in Iran for Latin America
Atlantic Council - One Month In, Can Honduras’s New President Put the Country on the Path to Lasting Economic Gains?
Plaza Pública - Los dos lobbys que buscan que Trump apoye a Consuelo Porras
Bloomberg - Bitcoin Slump Disrupts Bukele’s Digital Utopia
AP News - Honduras Weighs Shift in China-Taiwan Ties as Trump Pushes for US Dominance in Latin America
The Atlantic - All Eyes on Cuba
Crisis Group - Hunger in Havana: Can US Cutoff Bring Change to Cuba?
Reuters - Trump Raises Prospect of ‘Friendly Takeover’ of Cuba
Bloomberg - The Caribbean Nation Unexpectedly Going Along With Trump’s Drug-Boat Narrative
Bloomberg - US, Cuba Make Competing Policy Tweaks as Island Suffers Blackout
Americas Quarterly - Cuba’s Military: The Institution Washington Cannot Ignore
Miami Herald - As talks with Cuba advance, Trump administration eyes change in top leadership
The Economist - Cuba’s Economic Divides Are Widening
Venezuela stuff
World Politics Review - Venezuelans Want Change. Will the Chavistas Deliver?
MS Now - Opinion: Why Trump’s Oil Dreams for Venezuela Are a Bust
Reuters - US turns up heat on Venezuela with threat to indict new leader Delcy Rodriguez
Project Syndicate - Venezuelan Democracy Needs Action, Not Cheap Talk
Axios - Scoop: Trump Officials Broker Massive U.S.-Venezuela Gold Deal
Bloomberg - Maduro’s Secret Oilfield Contracts Draw Scrutiny of US Officials
New York Times - How a Trip Across the Americas Ended in a Venezuelan Jail
OCCRP - Conflict-Tainted Venezuelan Gold Entered World Market Through Caribbean Island, Documents Indicate
AP News - US and Venezuela Agree to Reestablish Diplomatic Relations in Major Shift After Maduro’s Ouster
Thanks for reading
Cartagena is always a wonderful work trip. Have a good weekend!