Under the Shadow

Explore the gripping tale of United Fruit's dominance in Guatemala and its tangled web of political influence. Listen as the host walks through historical sites, revealing the company’s vast power and its impact on local labor struggles. Delve into the dark shadows of the 1954 CIA coup that ousted a democratically elected president in the name of U.S. interests. The narrative intertwines past and present, reflecting on the legacy of these interventions as Guatemala prepares for a new chapter in its political history.

Two hundred years ago, on December 2, 1823, then-president James Monroe delivered his State of the Union address to Congress. In his address, he laid out what would become both one of the most consequential and devastating ideas for Latin America—the Monroe Doctrine.We look back on the history of the Monroe Doctrine and the devastating impact on the region. The list of US invasions, occupations, coups, and sanctions is endless. Hundreds. From Mexico to Panama. The Caribbean. Colombia to the tip of Chile and Argentina. No country in Latin America has remained free from the shadow hanging over them. The shadow of the United States. The shadow of the Monroe Doctrine.In the second half of the episode, we meet migrants walking North toward the United States on the edge of Central America. A very real manifestation, right now, of the never-ending impact of US intervention in Latin America.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.Edited by Heather Gies and Maximillian Alvarez.Sound design by Gustavo Türck.Theme music by Monte Perdido.Other music from Blue Dot Sessions.Additional links:Support journalist Michael Fox or Under the Shadow at https://www.patreon.com/mfoxThe clip from Democracy Now! looking at the 200th Anniversary of the Monroe Doctrine is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSO-t49t198Support NACLA: nacla.org/donateFollow NACLA on X: https://twitter.com/NACLALike NACLA on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nacla/Help The Real News Network continue producing radically independent news and in-depth analysis by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer: Donate: 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.

Support the production of this podcast now: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/brasilonfire/under-the-shadow-of-the-united-states-a-podcastHistory is often lost in the past. Hard to grasp. Difficult to explain. The story of the US role abroad is often muddled or forgotten.In this podcast series on US intervention and revolutionary resistance in Latin America, independent journalist Michael Fox makes that history come to life, taking listeners to places in the present on a search for the legacies of the past. It's a search for the ghosts that still linger—and what it all means today. This is particularly important this year—2023—the 200-year anniversary of the Monroe Doctrine, the US foreign policy that defined Latin America as its backyard, to do with what it would like. And yet, throughout the region there has been pushback — a revolutionary spirit of the past and ongoing movements in the present."Under the Shadow" is a highly produced, sound-rich, investigative podcast series that takes listeners across Latin America to the scenes of some of the region’s most devastating, revolutionary, and historic moments — both good and bad. Season 1 — coming soon — dives deep into the past of Central America, uncovering the history of US intervention that still lingers in the region today.With first-hand reporting, profound interviews, and archival footage, each of the nine episodes stands alone. But they also fit together as part of a larger story of the legacies of repressive governments, revolution, and the role of the United States in invasions, coups, and the wars of the 1980s.Michael Fox is a longtime radio reporter, editor, and journalist who has spent the better part of the last 20 years in Latin America. He is the former editor of the NACLA Report on the Americas, the former director of video production at teleSUR English, and a former member of the steering committee of the daily radio news show FSRN. Last year, he reported and produced the highly successful investigative podcast series Brazil on Fire, about Brazil's descent toward authoritarianism under President Jair Bolsonaro. https://www.mfox.us/ The Real News Network (TRNN) makes media that amplifies movements and organizers fighting for a better future. We are a multi-platform digital newsroom based in Baltimore but reporting nationally and internationally. https://therealnews.comThe North American Congress on Latin America (NACLA) is an independent, nonprofit organization founded in 1966 to examine and critique US imperialism and political, economic, and military intervention in the Western hemisphere. For more than 50 years, NACLA has been a leading source of English-language research and analysis on Latin America and the Caribbean. https://nacla.orgHelp cover the production costs of Under the Shadow: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/brasilonfire/under-the-shadow-of-the-united-states-a-podcastSeries logo image credit: Museo de la Palabra y la Imagen (MUPI)Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/under-the-shadow--5958129/support.