Kateryna Vakarchuk
The Political and Economic Situation in June 2018
In June 2018, the political and economic situation in Latin American countries (in particular, Venezuela, Colombia, Argentina, Brazil and Mexico) was stable, with the exception of Venezuela, where the political and energy crises continue since 2013. The key players in the region, such as the United States, China, Russia and the European Union, have their own interests and continue, like China, for example, their economic expansion in the region. Russia is interested in Venezuelan oil, the United States has focused on streamlining migration policy towards poor countries of Latin America in general, and Mexico — in particular. The European Union has a longstanding relationship with MERCOSUR, and it follows a policy of eliminating customs barriers with producers from the countries of MERCOSUR: Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay. In Mexico, presidential elections have taken place, which among other things will significantly affect relations with the United States and Latin American countries.
One can conclude that the Latin American region is increasingly drawing attention of many players in the world political arena, especially the United States. D. Trump's administration's policy gives grounds for saying that the United States is returning to Latin America and restoring the “backyard” policy. However, the policy of “zero tolerance” can lead to aggravation of relations and the emergence of contradictions with many countries in the region.
The article is available in Ukrainian
