Expectations are sky-high in Chile following Gabriel Boric's inauguration as president on March 11. But challenges abound, from tensions with Mapuche indigenous groups and anti-immigrant protests to the uncertain impact of rising commodities prices. All this as the country rewrites its constitution – a messy process with the potential to upend public policy and politics. How will Chile's young leader navigate these obstacles? Isabel Aninat, dean of the law school at Adolfo Ibáñez University, joi...
Mar 17, 2022•29 min
The war in Ukraine has become a litmus test for how governments in Latin America view the changing global order. How is Washington positioning itself as the region's preferred partner for development and economic growth? How have the Biden administration's relationships with countries like Mexico, Brazil and El Salvador evolved since taking office last year? Ahead of June's Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles, the White House's top aide on Latin America, Juan Gonzalez, joins the AQ podcast for...
Mar 03, 2022•45 min
Entering the second half of his six-year term, Andrés Manuel López Obrador's presidency has taken a contentious turn. What's behind the Mexican president's recent war of words with the media and other critics? Arturo Sarukhan, a former Mexican ambassador to the U.S. and career diplomat for more than 20 years, joins AQ to discuss the key issues driving Mexico's current political debate.Guests:Arturo Sarukhan is an international consultant based in Washington, D.C. A board member of the Americas S...
Feb 17, 2022•32 min
Students in Latin America missed more school because of the pandemic than any other part of the world. What will this mean for the region's long-term prosperity? Fernando Reimers, a professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and co-editor of Learning to Build Better Futures for Education, joins AQ to discuss the toll COVID has taken on Latin American education – and what businesses, policymakers and educators can do to avoid another "lost decade."
Feb 03, 2022•32 min
It's been six months since Pedro Castillo was sworn in as Peru's president. But despite the threat of impeachment and a crisis in the mining sector, he has yet to offer a clear view of how he wants to govern. Andrea Moncada, a Peruvian journalist, analyst and contributing columnist to AQ, joins the podcast to examine Castillo's political isolation and uncomfortable relationship with power thus far.Guests: Andrea Moncada, a contributing columnist to Americas Quarterly, is a Peruvian journalist an...
Jan 20, 2022•32 min
Latin America’s transition away from oil and gas is well underway, with green energy investments bearing fruit in countries including Colombia, Uruguay, Argentina and Brazil. The region has a chance to be a leader, although unpredictable politics and this year's elections may get in the way, energy analyst Luisa Palacios says.Guests:-Luisa Palacios is a senior research scholar at Columbia University's Center on Global Energy Policy.-Brian Winter is the editor-in-chief of Americas Quarterly.Suppl...
Jan 05, 2022•31 min
Jair Bolsonaro and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva are early favorites in Brazil's presidential election next October. Can a "third way" candidate defy expectations, or is the country headed for a showdown between two divisive figures? Thomas Traumann, a journalist and consultant, joins AQ to look at the contenders' strategies – and whether any of them can end Brazil’s decade-long malaise.Guests: Thomas Traumann is a journalist and independent consultant, and was Brazil's communications minister from ...
Dec 09, 2021•34 min
Many Latin American economies bounced back strongly this year. Still, 2022 is likely to provide a reality check, says economist Alberto Ramos in this “from 30,000 feet” survey of what to expect. The outcome will have consequences for elections in Brazil and Colombia, as well as social stability everywhere.Guests:Alberto Ramos is the chief economist for Latin America at Goldman SachsBrian Winter is AQ's editor-in-chief.Supplemental Reading:"Could the U.S. and China Spoil Latin America’s Rebound?,...
Nov 23, 2021•34 min
After jailing his opponents, Daniel Ortega won an election on November 7, extending his hold on power. On this episode, Nicaraguan journalist María Lilly Delgado weighs in on what’s next for independent voices like herself in a consolidating dictatorship. Former Panamanian Vice President Isabel Saint Malo also joins the episode with a message for the international community. Guests:María Lilly Delgado is an independent journalist and co-founder of the Huellas de la Impunidad journalistic project...
Nov 09, 2021•25 min
Fake news is a problem everywhere. But many believe Brazil will be the epicenter in 2022, as President Jair Bolsonaro, facing a difficult reelection bid, is determined to protect his supporters’ “freedom of speech.” This week, Brazilian fact-checker Cristina Tardáguila breaks down how Brazil became a fake news hotbed - and looks for reasons for optimism.Guests:Cristina Tardáguila is senior program director at the International Center for Journalists. She founded Brazil’s first and largest fact-c...
Oct 28, 2021•31 min
With a month to go before the November 14 vote, Argentina's legislative election has already turned the ruling coalition upside down and thrown a wrench into ongoing talks with the IMF. What is the government's strategy? And what should investors know about the election? Bloomberg's Carolina Millán joins the podcast to break down the stakes of the election.Guests:Carolina Millán is the Buenos Aires bureau chief for BloombergBrendan O'Boyle is the senior editor of Americas Quarterly
Oct 14, 2021•23 min
Optimism can feel like it’s in short supply in Colombia. An IPSOS poll in September found that 89% of Colombians believed the country was “on the wrong track” – more than any other country polled. As elections approach next year, there are fears the discontent may empower more radical options. In his new book, and in his latest column for AQ, former finance minister Mauricio Cárdenas offers some ideas on how to channel desire for change in a constructive way, while weighing in on some of the maj...
Sep 30, 2021•34 min
As a series of crises challenges Latin America’s democracies, health systems, economies and more, Washington appears more engaged in finding solutions than it has been in recent years. But what are the Biden administration’s priorities? And how is it engaging with countries like Brazil, Mexico, Guatemala and El Salvador? Juan Gonzalez, President Biden’s top aide on Latin America, joins the Americas Quarterly Podcast for a special episode.Guests:Juan Gonzalez is senior director for the Western He...
Sep 16, 2021•1 hr 1 min
Change is in the air in Chile, with presidential and congressional campaigns heating up just as a constitutional convention gets to work rethinking the country’s political system. What can we expect from the November general election? And do the candidates promise radical change – or gradual reform? Adolfo Ibáñez University's Isabel Aninat joins this week’s podcast from Santiago.Guests:-Isabel Aninat is the dean of the law school at Adolfo Ibáñez University and director of the Chilean Society fo...
Sep 13, 2021•28 min
Negotiations between Venezuela's dictatorship and opposition leaders are set to begin in Mexico - the latest in a long series of such talks. Is this time different? What opportunities really exist for progress? Is the opposition in a position to seize them? Political scientist Maryhen Jiménez Morales joins the podcast to discuss what's really at stake.Guests:- Maryhen Jiménez Morales is a postdoctoral research associate at the Latin American Center at the University of Oxford.- Brian Winter is A...
Aug 12, 2021•28 min
On Aug. 1, Mexico will hold its first national referendum, understood by many as a vote on whether to put past presidents on trial. Some have questioned the need for such a referendum and the messages it sends. But despite calling for the vote, the president “wants the referendum to fail,” says political analyst Denise Dresser, who spoke about the president’s motivations for the referendum and the problems – from COVID to crime – it may distract from. Guests:- Denise Dresser is a political analy...
Jul 29, 2021•30 min
Over a month after Peru's presidential runoff election, Pedro Castillo is expected to be officially confirmed as the country's president-elect in the coming days, just in time to take office on July 28. In recent weeks, the former teacher and union leader has sent mixed signals about the kind of government he’ll lead, some of which have encouraged investors and critics. Law professor and journalist Andrés Calderón joins AQ’s Brendan O’Boyle to discuss what we’ve learned about Castillo and what h...
Jul 14, 2021•23 min
A congressional inquiry, a slow vaccine rollout and renewed threat of impeachment have put Jair Bolsonaro under intense pressure. But Brazil’s president could still rebound thanks to support in Congress and a potential economic recovery, says Patrícia Campos Mello. The acclaimed journalist says Bolsonaro’s fate will hinge on complicated set of factors, including the performance of his likely 2022 election opponent, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.Guests:- Patrícia Campos Mello is an award-winning repo...
Jul 01, 2021•24 min
Illegal and unregulated economies are helping drive a spike in deforestation of the Amazon. Is an economic model possible that keeps the forest standing and provides sustainable opportunities for locals? That’s the question AQ poses in its latest special report, and it’s the topic of this new conversation between Editor-in-chief Brian Winter, Managing Editor Cecilia Tornaghi, and special guest Denis Minev, a CEO and investor from Manaus, Brazil.Guests:- Denis Minev is the CEO of Bemol and an ang...
Jun 07, 2021•26 min
The results of Chile's constitutional convention election shook markets and left many wondering what it all meant for the country just as a presidential campaign begins to heat up. Many are hopeful, while others, like this week's guest, Patricio Navia, have concerns. The political scientist joins AQ's Brian Winter to discuss possible pitfalls of the new constitution, and why he is still optimistic about Chile's long-term future. Guests:- Patricio Navia is a contributing columnist for Americas Qu...
May 19, 2021•26 min
Kids in Latin America have lost an average of 158 days of face-to-face schooling, with more students out of the classroom than any other region in the world. In Argentina, the debate over when to send kids back to school has gone all the way to the Supreme Court, further polarizing a country reeling from a second wave and the worst inflation in 18 months. Economist Eduardo Levy Yeyati joins the podcast to discuss what’s at stake and give an update on politics and the economy in an election year....
May 07, 2021•26 min
Cuba’s political regime took a step into unknown territory on April 16, when Raúl Castro announced he was stepping down as head of the ruling party. The change comes as the government faces headwinds from an economic crisis worsened by the pandemic, an artist-led protest movement, and a new administration in the U.S. But how much will things really change? Political scientist Javier Corrales joins the AQ Podcast to look ahead at what’s to come.Guests:- Javier Corrales is a professor of political...
Apr 20, 2021•32 min
What’s driving an outbreak of violence on Venezuela’s border with Colombia? What does it say about Nicolás Maduro, who appears stronger than he was six months ago despite a worrying second wave and few vaccines in sight? The International Crisis Group’s Phil Gunson joins the AQ Podcast from Caracas to weigh in on the complex panorama.Guests:- Phil Gunson is the Caracas-based senior analyst at the International Crisis Group.- Brian Winter is the editor-in-chief of Americas Quarterly.
Apr 07, 2021•27 min
On April 11, Peruvians will head to the polls to elect their fifth president in less than four years. An unpopular, crowded field of candidates adds to the election’s unpredictability. Could the country’s unstable politics finally catch up to its long-resilient economy? Peruvian political analyst Andrea Moncada joins AQ’s Brian Winter to preview the vote – and the risks it entails. Guests:- Andrea Moncada is a political analyst and coordinator of the opinion section of El Comercio. She also teac...
Mar 24, 2021•23 min
A surge in migrants at the US-Mexico border has become the first big test for President Joe Biden's migration policy. It's also giving new urgency to a $4 billion aid package that he has proposed to tackle the root causes of migration from Central America. But just "throwing money at problems does not solve them," says former Costa Rican President Luis Guillermo Solís, citing problems on the ground such as corruption and democratic backsliding. On this week's episode of the AQ Podcast, Solís off...
Mar 10, 2021•27 min
In the year since President Nayib Bukele marched soldiers into El Salvador’s legislative assembly, his critics say the leader’s threat to democracy has only grown. Now, as legislative elections on Feb. 28 promise Bukele a long-awaited majority, there are fears about what that could mean for checks and balances. In the latest episode of the AQ Podcast, guest host Brendan O’Boyle speaks to lawyer and researcher Claudia Umaña about the election’s stakes, Bukele’s resilient support, and the implicat...
Feb 23, 2021•22 min
Colombia reported some good news in 2020: The country’s homicide rate was its lowest in nearly five decades. But continued violence in rural communities – and a pandemic that is emboldening organized crime – has darkened the mood for many. Veteran foreign correspondent John Otis joins the podcast from Bogotá to break down what’s happening in the countryside and the implications for President Duque – and the coming contest to name his successor.Guests:- John Otis reports from Bogotá for NPR and T...
Feb 04, 2021•30 min
There are 16 candidates in Ecuador’s presidential election scheduled for Feb. 7, but polls suggest voters aren’t too excited about any of them. Whoever they settle on will have to work overtime to manage a country battered by a pandemic and a fiscal crisis. Political analyst Sebastián Hurtado joins the podcast to assess the country’s outlook and the leading presidential candidates, including a protégé of Former President Rafael Correa, the “incumbent” candidate who’s never been president, and th...
Jan 21, 2021•25 min
After a year like 2020, no one can confidently predict what the next 12 months will bring Latin America. What's clear, however, is that 2021 may be as transformative for the region as 2020 - for better or worse. The Council on Foreign Relation's Shannon O'Neil joins AQ's Brian Winter to preview the developments to watch in the new year, including the challenges of vaccine distribution, the questions looming over this year's critical elections, and the potential for collaboration with a new admin...
Jan 07, 2021•36 min
When Luis Arce swore in as Bolivia's president a month ago, he confronted a dizzying host of challenges: a public health emergency, a polarized electorate, and an economy crippled by the pandemic. But Arce's first weeks in office have left many cautiously optimistic, including journalist Raúl Peñaranda, who sees the emergence of a "minimalistic" government that's less vengeful than he expected. On this week's podcast, Peñaranda discusses Arce's first month, the return of Evo Morales, the encoura...
Dec 09, 2020•23 min
