Latin America In Focus

One year ago, Guillermo Lasso beat the odds to capture Ecuador’s presidency. After some early successes, Lasso finds himself struggling to work with a fragmented Congress, as security problems mount. What’s the path forward for the business-friendly leader? Paolo Moncagatta of the Universidad San Francisco de Quito explains Lasso’s options. See AS/COA’s Brazil elections poll tracker: https://bit.ly/3v2H2NU The music featured in this podcast is Santiago Del Curto "Three Smiles for Tracey" by A. Hailstork for Americas Society. Watch the video: https://youtu.be/UeAaxFk-LrE Opinions expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect those of Americas Society/Council of the Americas or its members. 

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has long pledged that voters would get to decide whether he should finish his six-year term. One constitutional reform and millions of signatures later, they’ll get to do just that in a recall vote on April 10. But, given that all signs point to voters of all stripes agreeing he should finish his time in office, why hold it? Journalist and political analyst Fernanda Caso of Gatopardo and Latitud 3°12 shares answers with AS/COA Online’s Carin Zissis. See AS/COA’s tracker of AMLO’s approval: t.ly/mH9E Find out about other Latin American votes in our 2022 election guide: https://as-coa.org/2022 Hear Caso on Gatopardo’s weekly podcast: t.ly/Lzyw The music featured in this podcast is Mexico’s Ónix Ensamble performing Charles Halka’s “Por la fuerza las tierras” for Americas Society. Watch the video: https://youtu.be/jWsPOXVYS8I Opinions expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect those of Americas Society/Council of the Americas or its members. 

Jair Bolsonaro drew criticism for meeting with Vladimir Putin in Moscow a week before Russia invaded Ukraine. Why would the Brazilian president take such a questionable step? One big reason was fertilizer imports that power his country's agricultural sector, but it looks like the trip did little to stem rising food prices. In this episode, Samantha Pearson, São Paulo-based correspondent for The Wall Street Journal tells AS/COA Online’s Chase Harrison how the conflict in the Ukraine is being felt economically and politically in Latin America. The music in this episode is “Menino das Laranjas" performed by Jamile Staevie and Saul Cosme. Watch the video: https://bit.ly/3CFe61S Read Pearson’s coverage of how the conflict is affecting Brazilian agriculture: https://on.wsj.com/3CAMgUu Opinions expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect those of Americas Society/Council of the Americas or its members. 

In the pandemic, Latin American countries used every bit of fiscal space to stimulate their economies and aid their populations. Now, says Ilan Goldfajn, the director of the IMF’s Western Hemisphere Department, they face the reality of ensuring fiscal responsibility while also increasing the region’s growth potential and balancing social demands. In a public AS/COA event, he addressed the region’s path forward. The music in this episode is “New Padjanbel," performed by the Jacques Schwarz-Bart Quintet. Watch the video: https://bit.ly/3LTVyis Opinions expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect those of Americas Society/Council of the Americas or its members. 

Colombians could get three chances to cast ballots for the next president this year: in March’s interparty consultations, May’s first round, and a June runoff. A crowded candidate field ahead of the March elections—which coincide with legislative elections—is indicative of widespread dissatisfaction with the status quo, says Muni Jensen, a former Colombian diplomat now a political analyst with the Albright Stonebridge Group. She gives a rundown of the notable candidates, the mood of voters, and how the new Congress may be reshaped. More coverage at AS/COA’s 2022 Election Guide: as-coa.org/2022 The music in this episode is “Las Horas,” performed by Colombian trio Trip Trip Trip. Watch the video: bit.ly/3gJfKoZ Opinions expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect those of Americas Society/Council of the Americas or its members. 

Demand for lithium is expected to keep growing exponentially in the race to ensure we can power our smartphones, laptops, and electric vehicles. That could be a boon for Latin American economies, home to the lithium triangle countries of Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile. But of course, things aren’t always that simple. Luna Lithium’s Emily Hersh talks with AS/COA’s Carin Zissis about statist approaches, environmental worries, community concerns, and prospects for a lithium OPEC. Opinions expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect those of Americas Society/Council of the Americas or its members. 

We dive into the under-covered but crucial issues facing the region this year. In this episode: AS/COA's Eric Farnsworth gets into how the high number of U.S. ambassador vacancies can upend Washington's Latin America policy, U.S.-Mexico Foundation's Axel Cabrera and Pedro Casas Alatriste cover why a surge in migration to Mexico could prompt a change to the immigration narrative, and the Panama Canal Authority's Ilya Espino de Marotta explains how supply chain delays and climate change affect the hemisphere's busiest waterway. Opinions expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect those of Americas Society/Council of the Americas or its members. 

The presidential runoff between the right’s José Antonio Kast and the left’s Gabriel Boric leaves many voters feeling like “orphans” with no political home, raising a fundamental question about what type of democracy Chile wants, says CNN Chile host and La Tercera columnist Paula Escobar Chavarría. In this interview, she talks about what makes a candidate extreme, the ways Kast and Boric risk alienating female voters, and the parallels between Chile’s 2021 presidential race and the first vote in which she participated: the 1988 referendum. Opinions expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect those of Americas Society/Council of the Americas or its members. 

At November’s COP26 climate conference, countries met to generate stronger action on climate change. In attendance was Institute Talanoa’s Natalie Unterstell, a former Brazilian negotiator at climate summits. Unterstell talks to AS/COA Online’s Luisa Leme about what happened at COP26, what it means for Latin America, and what more Brazil—the region’s biggest contributor to climate change—can do. Opinions expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect those of Americas Society/Council of the Americas or its members. 

November brings with it two tricky electoral tests in Central America—Nicaragua on November 7 and Honduras on November 28. Both will be major tests for the countries democratic systems and for the ability of citizens to make their voices heard. In conversations with AS/COA Online, International Crisis Group’s Tiziano Breda explains the electoral scenario for both elections while El Milenio’s Juan Pablo Sabillón explains his organization’s efforts to battle young voters’ discontent with democracy. Opinions expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect those of Americas Society/Council of the Americas or its members. 

October 2021 opened with big shifts in areas high on Mexico’s agenda: security and energy. Both issues are, arguably, the most crucial to the country’s future course. In conversations with AS/COA’s Carin Zissis, UC San Diego’s Cecilia Farfán-Méndez covers what’s new—and not so new—in an updated U.S.-Mexico security accord while Montserrat Ramiro, former commissioner of Mexico’s energy regulatory agency, gets into why a new electricity reform is sparking discord. Opinions expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect those of Americas Society/Council of the Americas or its members. 

We're one year out from Brazil's October 2022 presidential vote, but there are a lot of clues about the shape of the race already. IDEIA Big Data’s Mauricio Moura tells AS/COA Online's Luisa Leme how Jair Bolsonaro’s approval ratings, the pandemic, technology, and Brazilians' lack of interest in politics could make—or break—the incumbent’s reelection plans. Opinions expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect those of Americas Society/Council of the Americas or its members. 

On September 7, El Salvador became the first country in the world to adopt a cryptocurrency as official legal tender. But while President Nayib Bukele has grown accustomed to high levels of popularity, citizens marked the country’s September 15 bicentennial by protesting his Bitcoin decision. The National Association of Private Enterprise’s Leonor Selva tells AS/COA’s Chase Harrison about implementation missteps and what other Latin American countries are learning from the experiment. Opinions expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect those of Americas Society/Council of the Americas or its members. 

Luis Rubio, president of México Evalúa, joins AS/COA’s Carin Zissis to dig into how President Andrés Manuel López Obrador will work with a newly elected legislature as he shapes his legacy halfway into his presidency, as well as how U.S.-Mexico relations do—and don’t—work as a check on the Mexican leader’s power. Opinions expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect those of Americas Society/Council of the Americas or its members. 

Acquiring hundreds of millions of vaccines is one thing. Getting them in the arms of hundreds of millions of Latin Americans is another. But partnerships with the private sector, existing vaccination networks, and the potential for boosted domestic production could upgrade the pandemic outlook for a region that could use some bullish pandemic projections. Direct Relief’s Thomas Tighe and Dr. Marco Aurelio Sáfadi talk with us about the on-the-ground logistics of vaccine rollout in the region. Opinions expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect those of Americas Society/Council of the Americas or its members. 

Journalist Mitra Taj and legal expert Alonso Gurmendi discuss the bumpy road ahead for Peru’s president elect, who faces opposition in Congress and among Lima’s elite, but whose presidency could change the face of the country’s politics and redefine the left. Opinions expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect those of Americas Society/Council of the Americas or its members. 

In recent years, Latin America’s political pendulum has swung from building strong institutions toward electing strong leaders. The shift weakened the region’s nascent anti-corruption movement, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t bright spots. AS/COA Vice President and Americas Quarterly Editor-in-Chief Brian Winter talks with Luisa Leme about the findings of the 2021 Capacity to Combat Corruption Index and explains why the pandemic only heightens the need to strengthen anti-graft mechanisms. Read more: www.as-coa.org/cccindex Opinions expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect those of Americas Society/Council of the Americas or its members. 

The 2021 Copa America kicks off June 13 in an almost empty stadium in Brasília. The tournament was slated to take place in Argentina and Colombia, but a combination of Covid-19 and social unrest forced them to give it up. Still, with Brazil struggling to overcome the pandemic, politicians, players, and fans alike are asking: Is now the time to be hosting a major sporting event? Felipe Cárdenas, staff writer for The Athletic, talks with AS/COA Online’s Chase Harrison about the controversies surrounding the Copa. Opinions expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect those of Americas Society/Council of the Americas or its members. 

With Mexicans casting ballots for roughly 21,000 seats nationwide, the June 6 elections give voters a chance to assess President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s political movement nearly halfway through his presidency. El Financiero pollster and ITAM political scientist Alejandro Moreno tells AS/COA’s Carin Zissis covers what polls show about shifts in support, the pandemic’s impact, polarization, and more. Learn more about the 2021 Latin American elections at: www.as-coa.org/2021 Opinions expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect those of Americas Society/Council of the Americas or its members. 

Chile kicks off its electoral cycle in May with a vote for local, gubernatorial, and constitutional delegates and concludes with the selection of its next president. Isabel Aninat of Universidad Adolfo Ibañez in Santiago joins AS/COA Online’s Luisa Horwitz to discuss what’s at stake in each vote taking place. Opinions expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect those of Americas Society/Council of the Americas or its members.