Monthly Risk Spotlight: October 2024

AMERICAS  Mexico’s New President Takes Office Claudia Sheinbaum takes office as Mexico’s first female and Jewish president, following a strong electoral victory in June 2024. This election was described as the most violent election in the country’s history. Sheinbaum assumes control at a chaotic time in Mexico; political and cartel violence has increased, migration issues… Read more »

Monthly Risk Spotlight: September 2024

AMERICAS  Violent Crime Rates in the Americas The Americas region has the highest rate of violent crime when compared to any other region in the world. The global average of violent crime is approximately six violent crimes committed per 100,000 people globally. In the Americas, that rate jumps to fifteen violent crimes committed per 100,000… Read more »

Monthly Risk Spotlight: August 2024

AMERICAS  Latin American Regional Relations Round-Up With political tensions in Venezuela escalating as citizens continue to protest against the results of what has been deemed to be an unfair election, it is valuable to take a macro regional view at the elections that have recently occurred across Latin America and how the political landscape, and… Read more »

Monthly Risk Spotlight: July 2024

AMERICAS  Hurricane Season Impact and Longer-Term Consequences Hurricane Beryl, the second named storm of the 2024 hurricane season, has broken several records, from earliest forming Category 4 & 5 hurricane in the Atlantic to also being one of the earliest hurricanes to form east of the Windward Islands. With predictions that the 2024 hurricane season… Read more »

Monthly Risk Spotlight: June 2024

AMERICAS  Political Violence Increases Across Mexico The general elections that took place in Mexico in early June are considered groundbreaking with the election of the nation’s first female president and first Jewish president, Claudia Sheinbaum. President elect Sheinbaum, a PhD academic,  scientist,  and former mayor of Mexico City, has vowed to pursue policies and lead… Read more »

Monthly Risk Spotlight: May 2024

AMERICAS  Further Impact Across Region Due to Record-Breaking Climate Incidents Large flooding events occurring across the continent, coupled with major drought and heat waves, have resulted in some of the worst environmental challenges the Americas have seen in decades. The extreme climate is attributed to both the El Niño weather pattern and the persistent rise… Read more »

Monthly Risk Spotlight: April 2024

AMERICAS  Increased Violence in Latin America’s Traditionally Safer Countries The collapse of the government in Haiti is serving to highlight some of the more extreme gang violence that has occurred and increased in the region. It helps to take a step back and look at how other countries in the region, particularly Costa Rica and… Read more »

Monthly Risk Spotlight: March 2024

AMERICAS Gangs and Violence Increase Across the Americas Organized and powerful gangs have been a rising issue across the Americas, with large-scale gang-related violence in 2024 particularly pronounced in both Ecuador and Haiti. This is in addition to the continued increase of organized criminal groups in Mexico, Nicaragua, and Colombia, though the problem is acute… Read more »

Monthly Risk Spotlight: January 2024

AMERICAS From Economic Prosperity to Economic Uncertainty 2023 was a year of strong economic growth for the Western Hemisphere. Economic activity in the region was at its highest levels since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the region was able to grow at a rapid 4% rate, making it one of the fastest-growing regions… Read more »

Monthly Risk Spotlight: December 2023

AMERICAS A Focus on Territorial Disputes Across the Region On December 3, a national referendum was held in Venezuela to determine whether the nation should annex Essequibo, an oil-rich region of neighboring Guyana. Although the referendum was non-binding, and the United Nations (UN) has already publicly denounced it as illegitimate, the territorial dispute between Guyana… Read more »