Jose Miguel Alonso-Trabanco

Born in Mexico, José Miguel Alonso-Trabanco is an international relations professional who holds a Master’s Degree in Strategic Intelligence and National Security. He is pursuing a PhD in Defence and Security Studies at Massey University, New Zealand. His research project examines the strategic implications of digital currencies for statecraft in terms of national power, interstate rivalries and hegemony, in the context of shifting security ecosystems in which traditional geopolitical challenges and emerging threats converge. He has professional experience as an analyst, researcher, adviser, consultant, professor, lecturer, policymaker and author of academic contents. He has participated as presenter in specialised events held in Australia, Curaçao, Mexico, New Zealand and Switzerland. His expertise includes geopolitics, national security, intelligence, strategic foresight, economic statecraft, the international political economy of money and finance, conventional and unconventional warfare, grand strategy, the weaponisation of complex interdependence and new arenas of great power strategic competition. His analytical work has been published by platforms such as Geopolitical Monitor¸ RealClearWorld and Modern Diplomacy. He is a member of the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs (Auckland branch).

The Geoeconomic Angle of the Third Gulf War

M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) conduct live-fire missions during Operation Epic Fury in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. (U.S. Army Photo) Part of this photo was blurred for security purposes. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:HIMARS_Support_Operation_Epic_Fury_(9564976).jpg

In the heartland of ancient Persia, the lines in the sand of West Asia’s geoeconomic map are being redrawn.

Interests and Armageddon: The Third Gulf War Shakes West Asia

cc Napishtim, Stone carved Faravahar in Persepolis., modified, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Persepolis_-_carved_Faravahar.JPG

Examining the great power interests and religious millenarianism fueling the US-Israel Iran war.

Life After Mencho: A Shifting Landscape of Organized Crime in Mexico

Cubist el Mencho, Mexico, Generated by Google Gemini AI on March 3, 2026. All flags, maps, and likenesses contained within this image are not necessarily accurate representations of reality.

The assassination of New Generation Jalisco Cartel (CJNG) leader ‘el Mencho’ is a game-changer, but not necessarily in the way that some analysts were hoping.

Venezuela: Chronicle of a Regime Change Foretold

cc US military via Truth Social, modified, altered by Google Gemini AI on January 5 2026. All flags, maps, and likenesses contained within this image are not necessarily accurate representations of reality.

Regime change in Venezuela is a game-changing development that will resonate across the geopolitics of the Americas. But it’s not without its risks.

Geopolitics of the Indo-Pakistani Four-Day War

cc Indian Air Force, modified, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?search=india%20air%20force&ns0=1&ns6=1&ns12=1&ns14=1&ns100=1&ns106=1#/media/File:HAL_Tejas_of_India_Air_Force_Squadron_18_Flying_Bullets.jpg

Examining the geopolitical stakes and wider ramifications of the latest border war between India and Pakistan.

CBDC with Chinese Characteristics: Political Economy of the E-Yuan

cc David Dennis, modified, https://flickr.com/photos/davidden/2205322601/in/photolist-dUpVVf-4hdcq1-6QciaS-2maKPzZ-2maes5j-s6f6PR-Mx83aq-shKPof-x1GpqY-4mSRzt-putDzT-DGVz4A-Drev2f-7fLuC9-2nPs8q2-ipqEKB-r8xTs3-55qQEe-bvLvBV-dbW6UY-99n2oE-9cqNhh-dbW5yg-7BsdUR-9dvcUL-tBLFH-uzU3x-NrCHU7-2iaHW9-2aHsgRE-MwWfDp

Exploring the potential geoeconomic impacts of the world’s most advanced central bank digital currency (CBDC), China’s e-yuan.

Illiberal Hegemony: The Tenets of a Trump Foreign Policy

cc The White House, modified, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?search=donald%20trump&ns0=1&ns6=1&ns12=1&ns14=1&ns100=1&ns106=1#/media/File:Donald_Trump_swearing_in_ceremony.jpg

Donald Trump’s second term could remake US foreign policy, pivoting from post-Cold War internationalism to the realpolitik of old.

The Fall of Assad: Domestic, Regional and Systemic Shockwaves

cc Kremlin.ru, modified, Putin on trip to Syria in 2020; https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Search&limit=500&offset=0&ns0=1&ns6=1&ns12=1&ns14=1&ns100=1&ns106=1&sort=last_edit_desc&search=assad+russia+filetype%3Abitmap&sort=last_edit_desc&advancedSearch-current={%22fields%22:{%22filetype%22:%22bitmap%22}}#/media/File:Vladimir_Putin_in_Syria_(2020-01-07)_01.jpg

The fall of Assad in Syria is a monumental geopolitical event, and one that will reverberate on the domestic, regional, and international levels. And whatever the new order that eventually emerges, it will not resemble the Levant of the past.

Facebuck: The Political Economy of the Libra ‘Stablecoin’

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Examining the rise and fall of Facebook’s Libra stablecoin - a saga that sheds light on the present and future of high-tech mercantile realism.

Friends Reunited? The Renaissance in Russia-Cuba Strategic Ties

Statement for the press after the Russian-Cuban talks. With President of the Council of State and President of the Council of Ministers of Cuba Raul Castro. - cc kremlin.ru, modified, http://www.en.kremlin.ru/catalog/persons/259/events/46201

After a long absence, Russian warships are once again docking in Cuba, signaling a reinvigoration of Russia-Cuba ties if not a complete return to the Cold War model.

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