#Elmundoencontexto Globalization and Geopolitics

Imagine the world as a large marketplace where everyone buys and sells. That is globalization in a nutshell: a process where countries, companies, and people are more connected than ever. But this global dance is not as simple as it seems. There is a second player on the floor, one more interested in power and control: geopolitics.

Geopolitics is like a global chess game, where each country is a piece trying to control the board. Location, natural resources, and relationships between countries are the rules of this game. And this is where globalization meets geopolitics in an inevitable clash.

Globalization has made countries more dependent on each other. If one country sneezes, the whole world can catch a cold. This has intensified the competition for resources and markets, generating tensions between the great powers. The rivalry between the United States and China is a clear example of how globalization has fueled geopolitical ambitions.

But geopolitics also limits globalization. Wars, sanctions, and trade barriers are like walls that hinder the free flow of goods, services, and people. The Ukraine crisis, for example, showed us how a regional conflict can have a global impact on supply chains and energy markets.