Latin America In Focus

Uruguay’s 2019 race might not yield major political shifts, but the next president will still face unknown territory, says American University’s Arturo Porzecanski. With the first-round vote on October 27, the professor and international economist tells AS/COA Online’s Luisa Leme what is driving voters’ desire for change, how a new right-wing party entered the scene, and steps his country should have and could still take to become a Singapore-style success story. Opinions expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect those of Americas Society/Council of the Americas or its members. 

Marie Arana’s Silver, Sword, and Stone takes the readers from pre-Columbian times through the region’s conquest, independence movements, dirty wars, and right down to the present. In doing so, the book explores three driving forces in the region’s history: mining—and particularly mining, violence, and religion through the tales of three contemporary Latin Americans. In this episode, the award-winning author tells AS/COA’s Carin Zissis why she wrote this sweeping history now. Find out more about her work at www.mariearana.net. Opinions expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect those of Americas Society/Council of the Americas or its members. 

The Amazon fires have sparked international calls to curb deforestation, but the nine countries that are home to the region need to make a coordinated effort, says Maria Antonia Tigre, an environmental attorney and doctoral candidate at PACE University. “There needs to be practical guidebook of what [governments] plan and want to do.” Opinions expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect those of Americas Society/Council of the Americas or its members. 

Half of all peace agreements fall apart within five years. Three years after signing a storied deal, ex-FARC rebels say they’re taking back up their arms. The situation—compounded with election violence and a tense situation with neighboring Venezuela—is sobering, says Muni Jensen of the Albright Stonebridge Group, but Colombia nonetheless has a pragmatic president in office and a relatively solid economy. Opinions expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect those of Americas Society/Council of the Americas or its members. 

Brazil is a vast country. But how open is it actually? To examine this question, four architects set out to show what is often hard to see, creating a series of ten oversized, interdisciplinary maps in the exhibition, Walls of Air: The Brazilian Pavilion at the 16th Venice Architecture Biennale, on display now at Americas Society. In this episode, architects Laura González Fierro and MIT's Gabriel Kozlowski speak with AS/COA Online's Luisa Leme about the maps, which show how things like immigration, climate change, housing, and more are shaping architecture and urban development in Brazil today. 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 made a campaign pledge to stop using the military for policing. But last month, he inaugurated a National Guard—a force he plans will be 150,000 strong. But does it offer something different from prior security policies? UC San Diego’s Cecilia Farfán-Méndez explains the National Guard to AS/COA Online’s Carin Zissis. Opinions expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect those of Americas Society/Council of the Americas or its members. 

After his first six months in government, Jair Bolsonaro has been more disruptive when it comes to social issues than tackling Brazil stagnant economy. Can he fix the country’s problems? Economist Monica de Bolle of SAIS and the Peterson Institute for International Economics tells AS/COA Online’s Luisa Leme about Brazil’s economic growth problems and explains what’s standing in the way as the new government tries to get the country back on track. Opinions expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect those of Americas Society/Council of the Americas or its members. 

Donald Trump’s threat to impose tariffs on Mexican goods is over—for now. The next question is how a U.S.-Mexican deal seeking to stem migration will take shape. Mexico Security Initiative’s Stephanie Leutert tells host Carin Zissis why Mexico might succeed at slowing Central American migration—if only in the short term. Listen to our previous episode with Leutert covering the migrant caravan crisis: https://bit.ly/2yv74wz Opinions expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect those of Americas Society/Council of the Americas or its members. 

It’s become known as the week that changed everything, or at least everything in Guatemala’s presidential race. In mid-May, two of the country’s three leading presidential candidates were disqualified from running. That leaves one woman, Sandra Torres, standing as the frontrunner. But she doesn’t necessarily have it in the bag. Political scientist Marielos Chang tells AS/COA’s Carin Zissis who’s in and who’s out ahead of the June 16 vote. Opinions expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect those of Americas Society/Council of the Americas or its members. 

On May 15, Brazil's new government saw its first national protests since Jair Bolsonaro took office as thousands across the country protested new budget cuts. But the 40-million-students system has challenges that go beyond ideological or budgetary battles. In this episode, Nova Escola’s Leandro Beguoci talks with AS/COA Online’s Luisa Leme and gives a perspective from the ground on how education is becoming part of Brazil’s civil society debate, where performance gaps exist, and lessons from countries that invested in education during periods of economic hardship. Opinions expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect those of Americas Society/Council of the Americas or its members. 

He’s 37, a social media maven, and he won El Salvador’s presidential election without the backing of the country’s two main parties. Nayib Bukele, an ex-mayor of San Salvador, isn’t exactly a political newcomer. But his June inauguration will end 10 years of the leftist FMLN in power. Bukele spoke with CNBC’s Michelle Caruso-Cabrera our COA’s 49th Washington Conference about U.S. ties, Venezuela, China, and an ambitious promise on immigration. The #2019WCA conference lineup included U.S. VP Mike Pence, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio, Mexican Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrard, and Colombian VP Marta Lucía Ramírez. See what they had to say: www.as-coa.org/wcarecap Opinions expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect those of Americas Society/Council of the Americas or its members. 

From Pinar del Rio to Havana, Paris to New York, Cimafunk is taking his Afro-Cuban sound on the road. AS/COA Online’s Elizabeth Gonzalez sat down with the emerging musician and AS/COA Music Director Sebastián Zubieta to discuss the evolution of Cimafunk’s sound at home and abroad. Hear more Cimafunk at www.cimafunk.com. Learn more about upcoming Americas Society concerts at www.musicoftheamericas.org. Opinions expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect those of Americas Society/Council of the Americas or its members. 

Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega running down his political and economic capital, says former U.S. Ambassador John Feeley in this conversation with AS/COA Online’s Holly K. Sonneland on the one-year anniversary of when civil unrest first broke out in the Central American country. The ex-diplomat also talks about his firsthand experience of the diplomatic tug-of-war between Taiwan and China in the Central America. Opinions expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect those of Americas Society/Council of the Americas or its members. 

Viewed as the outsider candidate in Brazil’s election last year, President Jair Bolsonaro took office January 1 with promises to address some of the country’s biggest problems: economic growth, corruption, and security. But running as an outsider and governing are proving to be two very different things. AS/COA Brazil experts Brian Winter and Roberto Simon take stock of Bolsonaro’s performance negotiating pension reform with Congress, warming up to the United States, and fighting crime and corruption. Opinions expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect those of Americas Society/Council of the Americas or its members. 

As Andrés Manuel López Obrador rounds out his first 100 days in office as president of Mexico, CIDE’s Carlos Bravo Regidor talks with AS/COA's Carin Zissis about his popularity, use of corruption as a political weapon, “omnipresence” through message control, and nostalgia. “He has this fantasy that he’s going to be able to choose his place in posterity,” says Bravo Regidor. Follow Carlos Bravo Regidor on Twitter: https://twitter.com/carlosbravoreg Learn more about AMLO’s first 100 days: www.as-coa.org/amlo100 Opinions expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect those of Americas Society/Council of the Americas or its members. 

In an effort to deliver law and order for voters doubting democracy, President Jair Bolsonaro promised to renew politics in Brasília. The problem with that plan? Brazil’s multiparty system—also known as Congress. Fundação Getulio Vargas’ Carlos Pereira talks with AS/COA Online’s Luisa Leme about the new president’s legislative strategy—and the headaches he faces. For more on the start of the Bolsonaro government, visit: http://www.as-coa.org/bolsonaro100 Opinions expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect those of Americas Society/Council of the Americas or its members. 

Just as Cuba’s Revolution marks its 60-year anniversary, the country is preparing to vote on the biggest constitutional overhaul since 1976. Cuba analyst Michael Bustamente and Cuba Working Group (CWG) head Alana Tummino sat down with AS/COA Online’s Elizabeth Gonzalez to discuss the changes and the online debate taking place ahead of the February 24 constitutional referendum. Learn more about the AS/COA CWG at as-coa.org/cuba Opinions expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect those of Americas Society/Council of the Americas or its members. 

If a crisis was already simmering in Venezuela, in the past month it’s boiled over. Guillermo Zubillaga, head of the AS/COA Venezuela Working Group, talks with Holly K. Sonneland about everything from China’s calculus in the current political standoff, the generosity of Colombia and Canada, and how we might yet be surprised as to how this all ends. Opinions expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect those of Americas Society/Council of the Americas or its members. 

“Latin Americans are not thrilled with democracy, but there’s very little evidence that…voters prefer any alternative,” says Steven Levitsky, co-author of How Democracies Die. In this interview with AS/COA Online’s Holly K. Sonneland, the Harvard professor talks about Brazil’s election, strategies for the Venezuelan opposition, and the lack of female authoritarians. Opinions expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect those of Americas Society/Council of the Americas or its members. 

Since Andrés Manuel López Obrador won the election by a landslide in July, observers have been looking for clues about whether the incoming president, who takes office December 1, will end up being a populist or a pragmatist. Former Ambassador Arturo Sarukhan tells AS/COA’s Carin Zissis why Donald Trump and AMLO have gotten along so far—and what might burst the bubbles. Plus, Speyside Mexico’s Amy Glover explains why AMLO is giving the private sector the jitters, but why we should give the new administration a chance. Follow Sarukhan for commentary: https://twitter.com/Arturo_Sarukhan Read Glover’s column: https://bit.ly/2P50h2l Find out more about Mexico’s 2018 election and transition: www.as-coa.org/mxelex Opinions expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect those of Americas Society/Council of the Americas or its members.