Friday Reading List - 13 February 2026

Summary

This episode surveys a whirlwind of political and security developments across Latin America, focusing on Mexico’s fraught reforms under President Sheinbaum, the looming electoral shake‑ups in the region, and the resurgence of U.S. influence via Trump‑aligned policies. It highlights Mexico’s water reform challenges, judicial overhaul, cartel‑driven violence, and the strategic tug‑of‑war over Cuba, while also covering Brazil’s economic headwinds, Colombia’s child‑recruitment crisis, and Venezuela’s shifting oil and opposition dynamics. The host curates a dense reading list that underscores how external powers, especially the United States and China, are reshaping the hemisphere’s political economy.