My recent article for Political Insights: Cold Geopolitical Calculations on Kashoggi Affair

https://politicalinsights.org/2018/11/15/the-cold-geopolitical-calculations-surrounding-the-khashoggi-affair/

My latest for COVINT-PRISM (India). Saudi Arabia. Bye Bye OPEC?

Saudi Arabia. Bye Bye OPEC?

Brief Book Review The Fix by Jonathan Tepperman

Just finished this amazing and extraordinary book, The Fix, which provides important lessons and anecdotes in a comparative case between countries previously in deep troubles and which afterwards rose the top rankings in their respective continents to become regional powerhouses, just by applying just a few "fixes" and adjustments. It shows that by having and showing political will and a deep sense of commitment and love for a country by political leaders, way far of political partisanships, its the only way to rescue it from shambles and the ashes. Personally and particularly appealing were the cases presented of Botswana, Rwanda, and Singapore and how the got to become today thriving economies and geopolitical influencers after years of problems and lack of will of their leaders to solve their respective countries's hurdles, especially Rwanda after years of ethnic genocide and slaughter between Tutsis and Hutus, how this country is one of the most thriving economies in Africa today, after applying deep fixes by their leaders, truly worried by the country.

Sadly Venezuela is not showcased in this book, but definitely these tools apply to the problems facing Venezuela today. Highly recommend this one!

My latest for Medium on OBOR and China

https://medium.com/@globaloilrisks/thoughts-about-the-grand-obor-strategy-of-china-9ff379cfc347

My latest post for Seeking Alpha: Hyperinflation in Venezuela. Will it really become the next Zimbabwe?

https://seekingalpha.com/instablog/49095818-josechalhoub/5189397-venezuelas-hyperinflation-will-really-become-next-zimbabwe

My recent analysis for Seeking Alpha: OPEC close to its demise?

https://seekingalpha.com/instablog/49095818-josechalhoub/5177199-opec-close-demise

My recent analysis on Venezuela's Presidential Elections for Political Insights

https://politicalinsights.org/2018/05/16/venezuelan-elections-bring-more-disarray-and-uncertainty/

My latest interview in Russian on Eurasia Expert on Iran nuclear deal

http://eurasia.expert/voennaya-operatsiya-ssha-protiv-irana-sprovotsiruet-otvet-kitaya-ili-rossii/

My recent analysis The Demise of PETROCARIBE for OilPrice

The Demise of PETROCARIBE

My recent analysis for Political Insights about Saudi Arabia and its importance for oil prices

https://politicalinsights.org/2018/04/19/not-just-iran-or-venezuela-saudi-arabia-also-poses-a-significant-risk-to-oil-prices/

My latest analysis on Linkedin Main Geopolitical Dynamics in the Middle East

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/main-geopolitical-dynamics-middle-east-jos%C3%A9-chalhoub/

Bingo for Bahrain. A new discovery of a giant reserve of oil

https://oilprice.com/Energy/Crude-Oil/Bahrain-Says-Giant-Discovery-Holds-80-Billion-Barrels-Of-Oil.html

Venezuela's Oil Sector may soon have new owners.

https://oilprice.com/Energy/Crude-Oil/Venezuelas-Oil-Sector-May-Soon-Have-New-Owners.html

Venezuela's Oil Drama. My Analysis for Political Insights

Venezuela's Oil Drama

Russia-Saudi Oil Bromance. Will it Last?

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/russo-saudi-oil-bromance-last-josé-chalhoub/

Brief Book Review of Fire and Fury by Michael Wolff

Just finished my 2nd book of 2018, and definitely what could have been one of my best readings, Fire and Fury, by Michael Wolff. As a brief description, i could say, that this has been the most sarcastic, incisive, and graphical overview of the current state of affairs in the Trump's White House (or is it Jarvanka's White House?) well nobody knows for certain but the author finished the book setting the way for a Bannon take over of the White House, definitely in a creepy way, making the point that Trump has been a tool for the Bannonites to come back to West Wing.

One particular point of my personal interest is the non coherence of how the foreign policy has been handled by the current administration and how the most critical point which is the issue of the Middle East was handed to inexperienced hands, this is, to youngster Jared Kushner, having himself no experience at all on how to handle this vital region of the world and other issues like North Korea and Syria, also mentioned as issue of foreign policy, and where Steve Bannon had a radical different point of view, and also with regards to Afghanistan, this is, isolationism and hands off of these delicate spots where the U.S. through previous administrations of Obama and Bush made a mess according to the bannonites. Also, the most repeated words all across the book were leaks, leaks, each group leaking against each other, that is (the bannonites, the Jarvankas and the Priebus-Ryan side) and how each group used people like the Mooch and Spicer for their own ends and goals in order to advance each group agendas, and definitely with no organisation and coherence on how to run the White House, according to the author. Amazing how much could have happened in just a year of the Trump administration and how clear it has been described in this hot book.  Worth the read this book... 

My thoughts on Russia's Presidential Elections

Thoughts on Russia's Presidential Elections 2018

Comments of Windfall book by Meghan O'Sullivan

I just finished my first book of 2018, Windfall: How the New Energy Abundance upends Global Politics and Strengthens America's Power by Meghan O'Sullivan.  I have to say that i really liked it since it is a book that clearly and extensively intersects and emphasises the role of geopolitics in the current global oil and markets and dynamics, seen specifically from the perspective of a world no longer lacking oil but one with increasing oil production and also a growing production and market of natural gas and LNG specifically, making the case for the United States, of which the author clearly highlights and says that in the future no longer will depend on oil and gas imports and specifically on the imports from turbulent regions like the Middle East for example. 

Also, cases of Russia and China are exposed and explained, and even if the author states that the U.S. has gradually become a growing player in the LNG exports to Europe, it also points that still Russia has control and dominance over Europe in terms of gas supplies, and regarding China, the book bets on cooperation between Washington and Beijing for the distribution and control of oil reserves and production, especially underscoring the issue of the go out strategy of China regarding its investments in oil producing countries suffering from political instability, which has been a longstanding strategy, but in world with abundance of oil, China might not longer need to recur to this, and soon becoming a net oil producing country. 

Overall, its been one good book and very useful specially explaining the intersections between geopolitics and oil and gas markets, when geopolitical dynamics are heavily influencing the direction of global energy markets and behaviour of prices. 

My analysis for Seeking Alpha on Venezuela's Oil Drama

My analysis for Seeking Alpha on Venezuela's Oil Drama

My take on the recent spat between U.S. and Pakistan on Medium

U.S. and Pakistan spat