Under the Shadow

Michel Gobat, a history professor at the University of Pittsburgh, shares compelling insights into William Walker's audacious invasion of Nicaragua in 1855. They discuss Walker's dual identity as both a revolutionary and a tyrant, and the cultural clashes that led to his downfall. Gobat highlights the lasting legacy of Walker's actions on U.S.-Central American relations, revealing how they fueled anti-U.S. sentiment. The conversation also touches on the importance of preserving Nicaraguan cultural heritage in the face of historical adversity.

A New York court has found former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernández guilty of drug trafficking and weapons possession. It’s a huge verdict that will likely see the former president imprisoned for life.In the last episode of Under The Shadow, host Michael Fox looked deeply at Hernández’s time as president from 2014 to 2022, which many came to call a narco-dictatorship. He won office in a fraudulent election, consolidated unprecedented power, pushed a neoliberal sell-off, and carried out widespread human rights abuses. In this Update 3, Fox looks at the New York trial that convicted him. What went down, what it meant, and what it means going forward for Honduras. And most important, what was missing — namely the role of the United States and Canada in propping up the Hernández regime.For this update, we speak with Karen Spring, the co-coordinator of the Honduras Solidarity Network and host of the Honduras Now podcast. She was in the New York courtroom throughout Hernandez’s trial.Under the Shadow is an investigative narrative podcast series that walks back in time, to tell the story of the past by visiting momentous places in the present. In each episode, host Michael Fox takes us to a location where something historic happened — a landmark of revolutionary struggle or foreign intervention. Today, it might look like a random street corner, a church, a mall, a monument or a museum. But every place he takes us was once the site of history-making events that shook countries, impacted lives, and left deep marks on the world.Hosted by Latin America-based journalist Michael Fox.Recorded in San Salvador, El SalvadorThis podcast is produced in partnership between The Real News Network and NACLA.Guests: Karen SpringTheme music by Monte Perdido. Other music from Blue Dot Sessions.Follow and support journalist Michael Fox or Under the Shadow at https://www.patreon.com/mfoxThe Real News NetworkDonate: therealnews.com/uts-pod-donateSign up for our newsletter: https://therealnews.com/uts-pod-subscribeLike us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/therealnewsFollow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/therealnewsBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/under-the-shadow--5958129/support.

In June 2009, Honduras faced a devastating coup that shattered the country’s fragile democracy and sunk the country into violence, repression, and a decade-long narco-dictatorship.But the people fought back.In this continuation of Episode 7, host Michael Fox looks at the fallout of the 2009 coup in Honduras, walking from 2009 into the present. He takes us to Tegucigalpa to dive into the fraudulent U.S.-backed elections that ushered in a narco-dictatorship, and also the resistance movement that, after years of struggle, ultimately did what it set out to do: remove the dictatorship and return democracy to Honduras.This is Part 2 of a two-part episode looking at the 2009 coup in Honduras and the aftermath.Under the Shadow is a new investigative narrative podcast series that walks back in time, telling the story of the past by visiting momentous places in the present.In each episode, host Michael Fox takes us to a location where something historic happened — a landmark of revolutionary struggle or foreign intervention. Today, it might look like a random street corner, a church, a mall, a monument, or a museum. But every place he takes us was once the site of history-making events that shook countries, impacted lives, and left deep marks on the world.Hosted by Latin America-based journalist Michael Fox.This podcast is produced in partnership between The Real News Network and NACLA.Guests:Bertha Oliva, COFADEHGrahame Russell, Rights ActionAdrienne PineFelix MolinaJesse FreestonKaren SpringAlex Main, CEPREdited by Heather Gies.Sound design by Gustavo Türck.Voice Actors: Andalusia K. SoloffTheme music by Monte Perdido. Other music from Blue Dot Sessions.Follow and support journalist Michael Fox or Under the Shadow at https://www.patreon.com/mfoxClick here, to watch Jesse Freeston’s documentary, ResistenciaResistance, about the campesino struggle in the Aguan Valley.Karen Spring is has been covering the New York trial of former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernáandez. Visit Honduras Now for updates, or follow @springkj and @HondurasNow on Twitter.The Real News NetworkDonate: therealnews.com/uts-pod-donateSign up for our newsletter: https://therealnews.com/uts-pod-subscribeLike us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/therealnewsFollow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/therealnewsBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/under-the-shadow--5958129/support.

In June 2009, Honduras faced a devastating coup that shattered the country’s fragile democracy and sunk the country into violence, repression, and a decade-long narco-dictatorship. But the people fought back.In this episode, host Michael Fox dives into the tremendous resistance to the 2009 coup. He also looks at the government of Manuel Zelaya, the Latin America Pink Tide movement of the 2000s, and the push back from Honduran elites and the United States. This is Part 1 of a two-part episode looking at the 2009 coup in Honduras and the aftermath.Under the Shadow is a new investigative narrative podcast series that walks back in time, telling the story of the past by visiting momentous places in the present. In each episode, host Michael Fox takes us to a location where something historic happened — a landmark of revolutionary struggle or foreign intervention. Today, it might look like a random street corner, a church, a mall, a monument, or a museum. But every place he takes us was once the site of history-making events that shook countries, impacted lives, and left deep marks on the world.Hosted by Latin America-based journalist Michael Fox.This podcast is produced in partnership between The Real News Network and NACLA.Guests:Bertha Oliva, COFADEHGrahame Russell, Rights ActionAdrienne PineFelix MolinaJesse FreestonKaren SpringAlex Main, CEPREdited by Heather Gies.Sound design by Gustavo Türck.Voice Actors: Andalusia K. SoloffTheme music by Monte Perdido. Other music from Blue Dot Sessions.Follow and support journalist Michael Fox or Under the Shadow at https://www.patreon.com/mfoxClick here to watch Jesse Freeston’s documentary, Resistance, about the campesino struggle in the Aguan Valley. Karen Spring is currently covering the New York trial of former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernandez. Visit Honduras Now for updates, or follow @springkj and @HondurasNow on Twitter.The Real News NetworkDonate: therealnews.com/uts-pod-donateSign up for our newsletter: https://therealnews.com/uts-pod-subscribeLike us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/therealnewsFollow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/therealnewsBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/under-the-shadow--5958129/support.

In the 1980s, Honduras was ground zero for US operations in Central America—it was the primary point from which the US would wage its proxy wars and launch its interventionist operations across the region in the name of “fighting communism.” The 1954 CIA coup in Guatemala, which we explored in Episode 2 of Under the Shadow, was staged from Honduras. It was the main base of operations where US forces trained, funded, and backed Contras in their war against Nicaragua’s Sandinista government. And today, Honduras is home to the Soto Cano Air Base, previously known as Palmerola, the largest US military base in Central America. One of the largest in Latin America.Within Honduran society itself, that meant squashing any revolutionary activity that could destabilize this key US ally and its strategic importance for US imperial operations. The impact on the country was tremendous: massacres, disappearances, many at the hands of an elite US-trained death squad known as Battalion 316. “There was a lot of repression. A huge military presence,” says Karla Lara, a Honduran journalist and well-known singer. In this episode, host Michael Fox takes us to present-day Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras, then we descend back in time to one of darkest periods in Honduran history. Fox visits Honduran family members of the disappeared and walks right up to the walls of the Soto Cano Air Base.Under the Shadow is a new investigative narrative podcast series that walks back in time, telling the story of the past by visiting momentous places in the present. In each episode, host Michael Fox takes us to a location where something historic happened—a landmark of revolutionary struggle or foreign intervention. Today, it might look like a random street corner, a church, a mall, a monument, or a museum. But every place he takes us was once the site of history-making events that shook countries, impacted lives, and left deep marks on the world.Hosted by Latin America-based journalist Michael Fox.This podcast is produced in partnership between The Real News Network and NACLA.Guests:Bertha Oliva, COFADEHAdrienne PineKarla LaraGrahame Russell, Rights ActionEdited by Heather Gies.Sound design by Gustavo Türck.Voice Actors: Andalusia K. SoloffTheme music by Monte Perdido. Other music from Blue Dot Sessions.Follow and support journalist Michael Fox or Under the Shadow at https://www.patreon.com/mfoxThe Real News NetworkDonate: therealnews.com/uts-pod-donateSign up for our newsletter: https://therealnews.com/uts-pod-subscribeLike us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/therealnewsFollow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/therealnewsBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/under-the-shadow--5958129/support.

In this engaging discussion, Jorge Cuellar, a Dartmouth assistant professor specializing in Latin American studies, delves into the recent re-election of Nayib Bukele in El Salvador. He highlights the astounding 83% of votes received amid growing concerns about democracy and electoral integrity. The conversation also explores Bukele's controversial governance, media manipulation, and the impact of Bitcoin on everyday lives. Cuellar sheds light on the divided public sentiment, the potential for authoritarianism, and the future political landscape in El Salvador.

Guatemala's new president Bernardo Arévalo was inaugurated on January 14. But it did not come off without a hitch. Outgoing opposition lawmakers did their best to try to stymie the swearing-in of Arévalo and some of his party members. Arévalo’s supporters rallied in Guatemala City. As we looked at in Episode 2, Bernardo Arévalo is the son of Guatemala's first democratic leader Juan José Arévalo, who ushered in the Guatemalan Spring. Bernardo Arévalo has promised to lift Guatemala once again, but… even after winning the election, he faced constant legal maneuvers, led by the attorney general, that aimed to overturn the results and block his inauguration.In this update to our reporting on Guatemala, host Michael Fox speaks with political scientist Jo-Marie Burt. She was on the ground in Guatemala City for Arévalo’s inauguration. In this update, she takes us there, and looks at what it means for Arévalo’s incoming government.Under the Shadow is a new investigative narrative podcast series that walks back in time, to tell the story of the past by visiting momentous places in the present. In each episode, host Michael Fox takes us to a location where something historic happened — a landmark of revolutionary struggle or foreign intervention. Today, it might look like a random street corner, a church, a mall, a monument or a museum. But every place he takes us was once the site of history-making events that shook countries, impacted lives, and left deep marks on the world.Hosted by Latin America-based journalist Michael Fox.This podcast is produced in partnership between The Real News Network and NACLA.Guests: Jo-Marie Burt.Edited by Heather Gies and Maximillian Alvarez.Sound design by Gustavo Türck.Theme music by Monte Perdido. Other music from Blue Dot Sessions.Follow and support journalist Michael Fox or Under the Shadow at https://www.patreon.com/mfoxThe Real News NetworkDonate: therealnews.com/uts-pod-donateSign up for our newsletter: https://therealnews.com/uts-pod-subscribeLike us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/therealnewsFollow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/therealnewsBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/under-the-shadow--5958129/support.

Carlos Henríquez Consalvi, a Venezuelan journalist and founder of the Museum of Word and Image, joins Lucio Vásquez, a former child guerrilla, to discuss the powerful legacy of Radio Venceremos. They share gripping stories about how this grassroots radio fought against state violence during El Salvador's civil war. Listeners will learn about creative survival tactics used by the radio team amidst military threats. The conversation also emphasizes the importance of preserving these historical broadcasts for future generations.

Chio (Lucio Vasquez), a young boy whose life was shattered by the El Salvador civil war, shares his heart-wrenching experiences of loss and displacement. He discusses the tragic massacre of innocent civilians during a protest and reflects on the profound impact of U.S. military aid that intensified the violence. The conversation delves into the historical context of the war, the culture of impunity, and the lasting scars on today's society. Chio's story serves as a poignant reminder of the human toll of conflict.

Jo Marie Burt, a political scientist and senior fellow at the Washington Office on Latin America, shares her expertise on Guatemala's troubled past. She discusses the genocide of Indigenous peoples in the 1980s and the complicity of the U.S. government in this violence. Burt touches on the ongoing search for justice and remembrance for the disappeared, as well as the implications of the upcoming inauguration of Bernardo Arévalo. The conversation sheds light on the emotional scars left by history and the resilience of affected communities.