Despite record cocaine production and rising violence, Colombian voters feel better about the economy. The incumbent left-wing government engineered this sentiment by overspending, hiking the minimum wage by 17%, and pressuring the central bank, creating a "jam today" effect that overshadows the security crisis.
The FIFA World Cup, co-hosted by the US, Canada, and Mexico under the slogan "United as One," is set against a backdrop of severe political discord. Tensions include US presidential threats against Mexico, suggestions of annexing Canada, and Mexico offering to host the Iranian team against US wishes.
Despite a strong sense of nationalism, suffering in Cuba has become so profound that many citizens now see American intervention as the only path to change. Their desperation for a resolution outweighs their historical opposition to foreign involvement, viewing it as a "get it over and done with" scenario.
Unlike in Venezuela, a "decapitation strike" targeting Cuba's de facto leader, Raul Castro, would be ineffective. Because he holds no formal position of power, his removal would not disrupt the state's power structure. This illustrates how informal leadership arrangements can render certain military strategies obsolete.