President Biden took office with the promise that the U.S would return as the global leader on climate, and make climate change a pillar of American foreign policy. Biden’s Leaders Climate Change Summit brought together leaders from across the world to discuss the world’s most pressing issues relating to climate, and government’s commitments to this agenda. Our Wilson Center experts discuss the climate summit and the actions that governments in the Americas are taking to address climate concerns...
May 17, 2021•27 min
In this episode of Americas 360, our Wilson Center experts review the political repercussions faced by President Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil stemming from his mishandling of the pandemic, the outcome of recently held elections in Ecuador and Peru, and forthcoming elections in Mexico and tentatively in Canada and why these are so crucial to the hemisphere and beyond.
Apr 27, 2021•36 min
The economic and social impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have been severe across the globe, but across the Americas and in other regions, women have suffered disproportionately. The pandemic's effects range from a decline in women's labor force participation, reversing the gains of previous decades, to a surge in gender-based violence during lockdowns. In this episode of Americas 360, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean Alicia Bárcena...
Apr 13, 2021•40 min
It has been a year since the COVID-19 virus began its deadly spread through the Western Hemisphere. Vaccination efforts are only slowly getting underway, and in some countries have barely begun. Across the Americas, governments have struggled to procure vaccines from multiple public and private sources. Thus far, only Chile can be seen as a vaccination success story. In this episode of “Americas 360,” our experts discuss the region’s slow rollout of the vaccine and why it has been so challenging...
Mar 16, 2021•27 min
As Canada looks to restrengthen relations with the United States under the Biden administration and reconsider its role in a Western Hemisphere devastated by COVID-19 and economic disruptions, Pierre Pettigrew, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada, joins our experts to discuss the state of U.S.-Canada relations, the upcoming Summit of the Americas, and the role of Canada in Latin America.
Feb 28, 2021•34 min
The economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is being felt around the world, and Latin America is no exception. IMF lending to bolster COVID-ravaged economies has gone to 21 countries in the region, where the pandemic’s impact has been magnified by natural disasters. As countries work to bounce back amid increased viral spread, Alejandro Werner, Director of the IMF’s Western Hemisphere Department, joins our experts to discuss the road to economic recovery in the Americas and the role the IMF can...
Feb 12, 2021•39 min
The Inter-American Development Bank mounted a momentous effort in 2020 to help Latin America respond to the public health and economic impacts of the pandemic. As the region battles a second wave of the virus that is clouding its recovery prospects for 2021, Mauricio Claver-Carone, the IDB’s new president, joins our experts to discuss the IDB strategy for addressing these historic challenges.
Feb 02, 2021•29 min
On January 6, the day the U.S. Congress met to certify President-Elect Joe Biden’s Electoral College victory, a pro-Trump protest turned violent, overwhelming security, breaching and attacking the U.S. Capitol. Guests José Díaz-Briseño of Mexico’s Reforma, Paola De Orte of Brazil’s O Globo, Rafael Mathus Ruiz of Argentina’s La Nación, and Alejandro Santos formerly of Colombia’s Semana Magazine join us to examine regional perceptions of these events and implications for the U.S. image across the ...
Jan 19, 2021•29 min
As the inauguration of President-elect Joseph Biden draws near, special guest Dan Restrepo, former Senior Director for Western Hemisphere affairs at the National Security Council under President Obama, joins our experts for a second episode to discuss Biden’s potential plans and policies for the Americas, with a focus on Canada, Mexico, Central America, Venezuela, Brazil, and Argentina.
Dec 21, 2020•27 min
As Latin America prepares for a new U.S. administration, special guest Dan Restrepo, former Senior Director for Western Hemisphere affairs at the National Security Council under President Obama, joins us to explore the potential hemispheric priorities for President-elect Joseph Biden, including migration, climate, and COVID-19 support. Additionally, Cynthia Arnson, Director of the Wilson Center’s Latin American Program, analyzes Venezuela’s recent National Assembly elections.
Dec 14, 2020•29 min
With Hurricanes Eta and Iota smashing into Central America only two weeks apart, countries in the region are dealing with widespread devastation. Special guests Gina Kawas Arita of Honduras, a Wilson Center-Vidanta Foundation Fellow, and Carlos Fernando Chamorro of Nicaragua's El Confidencial join our experts to discuss the scale of the destruction, its implications for migration and the spread of COVID-19, and the need for transparency and accountability in the delivery of economic aid.
Nov 25, 2020•38 min
Most leaders in the Americas, with the notable exceptions of the Mexican and Brazilian presidents, quickly recognized Joe Biden as the U.S. president-elect and began planning for major changes to U.S. policy in the region. In this episode of “Americas 360,” our experts, and special guests Ernesto Londoño of The New York Times and Ana Paula Ordorica of Televisa, examine perceptions of the election across the Americas, with a special look at Brazil and Mexico.
Nov 15, 2020•30 min
In this episode, our experts review the consequential outcome of Bolivia’s presidential election, discuss Chile’s plebiscite on writing a new constitution, and check in on Justin Trudeau’s shaky hold on the premiership and the new bedfellows keeping him in charge.
Nov 03, 2020•33 min
Research shows Hispanic Americans are more likely to identify as Hispanic or Latino rather than Latinx, a term introduced to be more inclusive and non-gender-specific. For Hispanic Heritage Month, we welcome special guest Mark Hugo López of the Pew Research Center to discuss the origins and rise of Latinx. Our experts step aside to welcome a group of young Latino professionals to discuss how the Latino community is responding to the term Latinx in the Americas and how this relates to identity....
Oct 21, 2020•29 min
The 2020 U.S. Election will be the first time that Latinos will be the largest non-white demographic in the electorate. In this episode, our experts and guest Sabrina Rodriguez, Trade Reporter at Politico, discuss Latino voters in the United States, the differences within this demographic and key policy priorities, and how political campaigns are working to earn the Latino vote, including the use of disinformation.
Oct 05, 2020•25 min
How serious a threat is disinformation and freedom of expression infringement to democracy in the Americas? In this episode, our experts and guest Nina Janckowicz, the Wilson Center’s Disinformation Fellow, discuss the origins of disinformation, its pernicious role throughout the COVID-19 crisis and how to sustain and build institutions to mitigate its effects.
Sep 19, 2020•24 min
COVID-19 has upended school systems and worsened academic disparities throughout the hemisphere. Governments are scrambling to cobble together remote learning programs, including in regions where few students have laptops or tablets and many lack internet access. In this episode, our experts and guest Gabriel Sánchez Zinny, the former education minister for the Province of Buenos Aires, discuss back-to-school challenges for students who can’t go back to school.
Aug 28, 2020•27 min
Even in normal times, countries in the Americas have struggled to contain corruption, including in the vulnerable public health sector. The coronavirus has amplified this challenge, given snowballing demands for medical equipment and services, and the urgent need to ramp up public spending to support sputtering economies. On today's episode, we ask our experts and guest Delia Ferreira Rubio, chair of Transparency International, why corruption is exploding during COVID-19 and how governments shou...
Aug 14, 2020•26 min
COVID-19 is challenging Latin America's fragile democracies in many ways, including the region's capacity to hold safe and fair elections. As the region struggles to contain the world's worst outbreak, several countries have postponed elections, while others have muddled through. To discuss how governments should approach elections during a pandemic, we speak to our experts and to Daniel Zovatto, the director for Latin America at International IDEA.
Jul 31, 2020•27 min
Last week, in the first foreign trip of his presidency, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador traveled to Washington, D.C., to meet with President Donald Trump. To help make sense of the visit, our experts and a special guest, Mexico Institute Global Fellow and Former Mexican Ambassador to the United States Arturo Sarukhan, discuss the state of bilateral relations, the significance of the meeting for both leaders, and what was lost and gained from the visit.
Jul 16, 2020•27 min
As President Trump mused publicly about a meeting with Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro, our experts and a special guest, Latin American Program Global Fellow Michael Penfold, discuss the vanishing prospects for fair elections in Venezuela, the wisdom of direct engagement with the regime, and the influence of electoral politics on U.S. policy toward Venezuela.
Jul 02, 2020•29 min
In this week’s special focus addition of Americas 360, our roundtable discusses recent events in the United States in response to the killing of George Floyd while in police custody, and takes a look at how other countries in the Americas have reacted to what’s happening in the U.S. and the subsequent U.S. government response. The panelists then expand the discussion to explore the state of race relations throughout the Americas.
Jun 19, 2020•20 min
How is Brazil handling its explosion of COVID-19 cases? Will discontent in Chile resurface in light of economic pain due to the coronavirus? Our regional experts, including special guest Latin American Program Global Fellow Lucía Dammert, address these topics while our roundtable takes a look at the economic impact of the COVID-19 crisis, how the Americas have responded to the pandemic, and more.
Jun 05, 2020•36 min
Introducing the Wilson Center’s newest podcast. In this episode: Will Argentina default again? Does Canada have a "China problem"? Is there an end in sight for Venezuela’s governing crisis? Our regional experts address these topics and more while our roundtable looks at how the Americas have responded to the COVID-19 pandemic.
May 20, 2020•39 min
