South America: International Law

In the early hours of 3 January 2026, Venezuela’s president Nicholas Maduro and his wife Ceilia Flores were seized by U.S. special forces during a night-time raid and flown to the United States to face trial on charges of “narco-terrorism.”

The U.S. Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control has issued new general licenses that expand opportunities for contingent contracting with Venezuela's government and authorize limited financial services involving key Venezuelan banks.

Mexico's Ministry of Economy has initiated an antidumping investigation into self-adhesive plastic tape imports from China, following a petition by domestic producers Industrias Tuk and Navi Lux. The investigation covers products with plastic backing and adhesive layers supplied in rolls, with a dumping investigation period from October 2024 to September 2025 and an injury analysis period extending back to October 2022.