Good morning and happy April Fool’s Day. I’m glad to say the big announcement below is 100% real….

But first, some headlines to get you started.

🇫🇷 Le Pen Barred From Public Office

Marine Le Pen has been barred from holding public office for five years after being found guilty of embezzling EU funds, likely eliminating her from the 2027 French presidential race. While she plans to appeal, this verdict throws her National Rally party into disarray, with 29-year-old Jordan Bardella potentially becoming the alternative candidate. The ruling could initially boost support among her base who view it as systemic persecution but may weaken the party's long-term prospects. More - BBC

🇺🇸 Uncertainty Remains Over ‘Liberation Day’ Tariffs

Tomorrow is ‘Liberation Day’: the day when President Trump will announce the long-awaited tariffs, but despite it being less than 24 hours away, there’s no more clarity on what might arise than there was weeks ago. Bloomberg has a good ‘Big Take’ Article on the history of tariffs and some high-level observations on what the tariffs mean, irrespective of the exact targets and levies.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Opening Day of Haggis Season Disrupted by Animal Rights Protestors

Animal rights protestors in Scotland disrupted the annual opening day of haggis season today, claiming the annual hunt was “barbaric and cruel”. Protestors stormed moors and hillsides across Scotland’s glens at dawn on Tuesday, disrupting the traditional ‘flushing of the haggi’ which signifies the beginning of haggis season. This event illustrates how traditional ways of life are under threat in Scotland but the disruption of haggis hunting is a major economic issue: 43% of Scotland’s economy relates to haggis sales or haggis-related events. More Bagpipes

Announcing our New Partnership with HumanRisks

We're excited to announce our new partnership with HumanRisks (humanrisks.com). We’re integrating the Decis Country Intelligence feed directly into their comprehensive security risk management platform as a fully embedded data feed. This integration will provide security managers and asset owners with immediate access to Decis country risk ratings, directional assessments, and key news summaries—essential contextual information for making informed security decisions.

The integration goes live on April 1st and will be available to both existing and new HumanRisks users on a trial basis.

Mads and the team at HumanRisks have built an exceptional platform over the years so we’re incredibly proud to become part of their journey, to offer the Decis intelligence products to their thousands of global users and join the other impressive integrations they support.

About Human Risks: Human Risks is an end-to-end security risk management platform comprising of eight core integrated modules alongside tailored integrations and solutions designed for specific customer use cases. Built specifically to support and scale security teams’ workflows across complex operating environments and asset footprints, Human Risks is deployed across more than 7000+ sites globally in industries ranging from shipping & logistics, pharmaceuticals, banking and fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG). Learn more at humanrisks.com

Carpe tomorrow! 🚀

Americas Stability Ratings and News Summary

More Unstable

🇦🇷 Argentina, 🇧🇧 Barbados, 🇧🇿 Belize, 🇧🇴 Bolivia, 🇧🇷 Brazil, 🇨🇦 Canada, 🇨🇱 Chile, 🇨🇴 Colombia, 🇨🇷 Costa Rica, 🇨🇺 Cuba, 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic, 🇪🇨 Ecuador, 🇸🇻 El Salvador, 🇬🇹 Guatemala, 🇬🇾 Guyana, 🇭🇹 Haiti, 🇭🇳 Honduras, 🇯🇲 Jamaica, 🇲🇽 Mexico, 🇳🇮 Nicaragua, 🇵🇦 Panama, 🇵🇪 Peru, 🇱🇨 Saint Lucia, 🇸🇷 Suriname, 🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago, 🇺🇸 United States Of America, 🇺🇾 Uruguay, 🇻🇪 Venezuela

More Stable

No countries were more stable over this period

Unchanged

🇦🇬 Antigua and Barbuda, 🇩🇲 Dominica, 🇬🇩 Grenada, 🇵🇾 Paraguay, 🇰🇳 Saint Kitts and Nevis, 🇻🇨 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, 🇧🇸 The Bahamas

Regional News Summary

Brazil has been making significant strides in enhancing its international trade relations. Following a push by President Lula, Japan has opened its market to Brazilian beef, a move expected to significantly boost exports. Additionally, Brazil has secured a deal to sell 20 Embraer jets to Japan, further strengthening its aviation sector. Brazil is also forging new trade partnerships, notably with Vietnam, focusing on cooperation in aviation and beef exports. Both Brazil and Japan have adopted a five-year action plan to bolster their strategic ties, emphasizing the importance of democracy and free trade in their bilateral relations [SOURCE - Rio Times].

Despite these advancements, Brazil's economy faces challenges, including a surge in deficits. However, cash inflows have provided some stabilization. The country’s pension funds are also under scrutiny, with potential bans on cryptocurrency investments as global regulations tighten [SOURCE - Rio Times].

In the political arena, Brazil's Supreme Court has decided to put former President Bolsonaro on trial for an alleged coup attempt, marking a significant moment in the country's political landscape [SOURCE - Times Live].

Meanwhile, the economic landscape in Mexico is being reshaped by recent tariffs imposed by the Trump administration, particularly a 25% tariff on imported cars. This has raised concerns within the auto industry, a critical sector for Mexico's economy, and has led to inflation worries in the pharmaceutical manufacturing sector [SOURCE - El País]. In response, Mexico is seeking preferential treatment from the U.S. to mitigate the impact of these tariffs. Walmart Mexico has announced a $6 billion investment in the country, which could help offset some of the negative effects [SOURCE - One America News Network].

In Argentina, the economy has shown resilience with a reported 6.5% growth rate, despite facing challenges such as skyrocketing food prices that threaten inflation targets. The country has secured a $20 billion loan deal with the International Monetary Fund, aimed at bolstering its Central Bank reserves [SOURCE - MercoPress].

Political tensions are also rising in Colombia, where the government is under pressure to address human rights abuses and corruption. The resignation of the finance minister has heightened concerns about the central bank's ability to maintain interest rates amidst economic uncertainty [SOURCE - Financial Post].

In Haiti, a severe humanitarian crisis is unfolding, with over 1 million people displaced by paramilitary gangs in Port-au-Prince. The situation has drawn international attention, with calls for urgent humanitarian assistance [SOURCE - CounterPunch].

Carpe tomorrow!

PS - Not every story in today’s SITREP was 100% true but I’m glad to say the partnership with HumanRisks is. Check them out at humanrisks.com