GlobalPULSE: 07 APR 2025

Report Summary

This weekly report provides a comprehensive analysis of critical events, emerging threats, and significant developments across our global watchlist countries. Our Geopolitical & Security Analysis Teams continuously monitor and assess incidents affecting regional stability, security, and business operations.

Key Global Concerns:

• President Trump’s April 2 declaration of “Liberation Day” introduced sweeping tariffs—10% on all imports and higher rates on specific countries—triggering retaliatory measures worldwide. Nations like Brazil, Bangladesh, Indonesia, and Thailand are preparing economic countermeasures, raising fears of a trade war.
• Israel escalated military operations in Gaza and Syria, targeting Hamas and alleged Turkish activity. Strikes on Rafah and Shejaiya intensified displacement. Hezbollah condemned an Israeli airstrike in Beirut, and Houthi missile launches continue to spill into Saudi territory.
• Despite new ceasefire overtures from the U.S., UK, and France, Russia’s drone strikes on Kharkiv highlight continued hostilities. Peace talks are stalled, though Armenia-Azerbaijan diplomacy shows more promise.
• Protests erupted in Port-au-Prince as gang violence rages on. Meanwhile, Venezuela’s criticism of deportations and El Salvador’s migration policies continue to fuel regional tensions.
• Colombia’s fighter jet upgrade, Serbia’s new defense pact with Hungary, and Dodik’s Moscow visit signal shifting defense priorities. Argentina, Brazil, and Bolivia strengthen energy cooperation, highlighting regional strategic recalibrations.
• Pakistan’s forced return of 800,000 Afghans is creating a worsening humanitarian emergency, affecting vulnerable groups such as women, journalists, and former civil servants.
• From Georgia’s new "foreign agents" law to Tunisia’s harsh deportations of migrants and Zimbabwe’s internal ZANU-PF tensions, repressive governance trends persist.
• Bolivia’s floods prompted a national emergency, and West Africa seeks to bolster food buffers amid instability. Peru’s mining protests and Mozambique’s new constitutional dialogue law reflect intersecting environmental and governance challenges.
• The Philippines' $5.58B F-16 deal with the U.S., Chinese drills around Taiwan, and Myanmar’s fragile ceasefires underscore increased security volatility across the region.

This week’s GlobalPULSE tracks how rising global trade tensions—sparked by sweeping U.S. tariffs—are disrupting economies and prompting retaliatory actions from partners worldwide. In Latin America, energy integration and military modernization are advancing despite mounting security threats and political fragmentation. Europe remains embroiled in the Ukraine conflict, while new military alliances emerge in the Balkans. In the Middle East, Israel’s escalations in Gaza and Syria deepen instability, even as diplomatic efforts with Hamas and Egypt falter. Sub-Saharan Africa is facing intensified security challenges and internal dissent, with regional leaders navigating high-stakes transitions. In Asia-Pacific, tariff reprisals, forced deportations, and surging defense deals reveal a shifting geopolitical balance increasingly marked by strategic autonomy and military assertiveness.