Latin America in Focus

Laura Trajber Waisbich, Deputy Director of Programs at the Igarapé Institute, delves into Brazil's influential role in global diplomacy. She discusses how President Lula's administration has repositioned Brazil to tackle climate change and advocate for the Global South. The conversation touches on Brazil's leadership within multilateral organizations like BRICS and the G20, and the nation's strategies for balancing domestic pressures with international responsibilities. Waisbich highlights Brazil's unique challenges and opportunities as it prepares for COP30.

Margaret Myers, Managing Director at the Institute for America, China, and the Future of Global Affairs, sheds light on the evolving U.S.-China rivalry in Latin America. She discusses how the Trump administration's policies shifted the balance, influencing regional governments as they navigate economic partnerships. The podcast explores China's appeal through its non-interference strategy versus the U.S.'s transactional approach. Listeners gain insight into the complexities and emerging trends in investment and trade between these superpowers and Latin American nations.

Peru has cycled through seven presidents in the last 10 years. Four of them were impeached or resigned before they could be. The country’s current president, Dina Boluarte, even with  a 4 percent approval rating, has been able to finish her term with elections scheduled for April 12, 2026.With one year to deliberate, what will be top of mind for Peru’s jaded electorate?In this episode, electoral analyst Javier Albán breaks down the institutional factors that have contributed to Peru’s political morass and the types of candidates he expects to emerge from the 43 registered political parties. Then, Bloomberg’s Lima Bureau Chief, Marcelo Rochabrún, discusses the dynamics among the executive, legislative, and judicial powers, and the issues that will define the electoral campaign as well as the next presidential term, such as a rise in violence and extortions that have shaken the country.If you want to learn more about Peru’s elections and economy in the year ahead, check our website www.as-coa.org. Council of the Americas will be in Lima on May 26 to discuss opportunities in the country with leaders of the private and public sectors. Keep up to date on all of the region’s votes this year with our election guide. You will find more podcasts, articles, poll trackers, and expert commentary at as-coa.org/2025electionsThe music in this episode is “Piano Station”, by Bianca Gismonti Trio for Americas Society. Find out about upcoming concerts at musicoftheamericas.orgShare your love for Latin America: Join Americas Society. Becoming a member gives you preferential access to music performances, art gallery, book events, our magazine Americas Quarterly, and more.  Opinions expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect those of Americas Society/Council of the Americas or its members. 📧Sign up for our newsletters: as-coa.org/newslettersFollow us on social media:Twitter/X: @ASCOAInstagram: @ascoaLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ascoaonline/Bluesky: @ascoa.bsky.social Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ASCOA/Threads: https://www.threads.net/@ascoa 

On April 14, Latin American letters lost a giant. Mario Vargas Llosa, the prolific Peruvian writer, passed away in Lima at the age of 89. Vargas Llosa was a frequent visitor to Americas Society over the years and even served on Americas Society’s Literature Advisory Board. This bonus episode brings you an English-language conversation between Vargas Llosa and legendary translator Edith Grossman, recorded at Americas Society in 2012. Learn about the author’s reading habits, Faulkner’s influence on his writing, and more.Access other episodes of Latin America in Focus at www.as-coa.org/podcastSend us feedback at latamfocus@as-coa.org Listen to Beyond the Boom—Latin American Writing in Translation, a previous episode in which translators discuss the state of Latin American letters in English and honor the legacy of Edith Grossman.The music in this podcast is by Pedro Ximénez de Abrill Tirado. It was composed in the 1820s in Arequipa and was performed by Eybler Quartet for Americas Society. Find out about upcoming concerts at musicoftheamericas.org.  Opinions expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect those of Americas Society/Council of the Americas or its members. 📧Sign up for our newsletters: as-coa.org/newslettersFollow us on social media:Twitter/X: @ASCOAInstagram: @ascoaLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ascoaonline/Bluesky: @ascoa.bsky.social Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ASCOA/Threads: https://www.threads.net/@ascoa 

In 2024, more than $800 billion dollars worth of goods were traded between Mexico and the United States, making the two countries each other’s largest trade partners. But beyond the goods moving across the border, there’s also investment running in both directions. In this episode, top Mexican CEOs detail the scale and scope of Mexican investment in the United States, which has been north of $5 billion per year for the last four years. What does this financing look like on the ground?This podcast episode is an edited version of a panel hosted by the Council of the Americas on April 3. You can watch the entire event on our website: https://www.as-coa.org/watchlisten/mexican-investment-united-states-jobs-regional-presence-and-economic-growth and learn more about COA’s activities focused on Mexico at: as-coa.org/mexicoSpeakers:Marcelo Ebrard, Secretary of Economy of MexicoJuan Pablo del Valle, OrbiaDaniel Servitje, Grupo BimboArturo Gutiérrez Hernández, Arca ContinentalFernando Villanueva, DEACERO USALuis de la Calle, De la Calle, Madrazo, ManceraLuis Alberto Moreno, Allen & Co.Susan Segal, Americas Society Council of the AmericasGet all the analysis on the Trump administration’s actions toward Latin America: https://www.as-coa.org/content/trump-administration-latin-americaShare your love for Latin America: Join Americas Society. https://www.as-coa.org/memberships/engage-americas-societyBecoming a member gives you preferential access to music performances, art gallery, book events, our magazine Americas Quarterly, and more.Access other episodes of Latin America in Focus at www.as-coa.org/podcast and send us feedback at latamfocus@as-coa.org. Share and subscribe at Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. Opinions expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect those of Americas Society/Council of the Americas or its members. 📧Sign up for our newsletters: as-coa.org/newslettersFollow us on social media:Twitter/X: @ASCOAInstagram: @ascoaLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ascoaonline/Bluesky: @ascoa.bsky.social Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ASCOA/Threads: https://www.threads.net/@ascoa 

April 2 is a date that looms large for Latin America. It’s the day that the Trump administration will initiate reciprocal tariffs globally and tariffs on automobiles. This is after the application of 25% tariffs on many goods coming from Mexico and Canada in March. What will this changing trade landscape mean for Latin America? Kellie Meiman Hock, a senior counselor at McLarty Associates, explains the main drivers behind this shift in U.S. trade policy and what Trump’s new tariffs mean for the countries across the region.Read more about the Trump administration’s approach to trade:AS/COA Online’s Tracking Trump and Latin America: Trade https://www.as-coa.org/articles/tracking-trump-and-latin-america-trade-tariffs-countries-importing-venezuelan-oilThe Americas Quarterly article by Marcelo Claver Carone that Kellie Meiman Hock mentioned during the interview https://www.americasquarterly.org/article/trumps-vision-make-the-americas-grow-again/Get all the analysis on the Trump administration’s actions toward Latin America: https://www.as-coa.org/content/trump-administration-latin-americaShare your love for Latin America: Join Americas Society. https://www.as-coa.org/memberships/engage-americas-societyBecoming a member gives you preferential access to music performances, art gallery, book events, our magazine Americas Quarterly, and more. Access other episodes of Latin America in Focus at www.as-coa.org/podcast and send us feedback at latamfocus@as-coa.org. Share and subscribe at Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. Opinions expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect those of Americas Society/Council of the Americas or its members. 📧Sign up for our newsletters: as-coa.org/newslettersFollow us on social media:Twitter/X: @ASCOAInstagram: @ascoaLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ascoaonline/Bluesky: @ascoa.bsky.social Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ASCOA/Threads: https://www.threads.net/@ascoa 

The Trump administration recently named six of Mexican drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, or FTOs. The new designation widens who can be charged for supporting these groups. What effect might this have? Pablo Zárate of FTI Consulting looks at how business operating in Mexico will have to revamp compliance with increased risk. And Cecilia Farfán-Méndez of ITAM explains the complexity of the drug trade and spotlights how this action may impact the bilateral relationship.Read more about the FTO designation:AS/COA Explainer: Which Cartels and Groups Is Trump Designating as Foreign Terrorist Organizations?FTI Consulting: Know Your Risk: Terrorist Designation of Cartels on Business Interests in MexicoCecilia Farfán-Méndez's testimony to the U.S. Senate Committee on the JudiciaryGet all the analysis on the Trump administration’s actions toward Latin America: www.as-coa.org/trumpShare your love for Latin America: Join Americas Society.Becoming a member gives you preferential access to music performances, art gallery, book events, our magazine Americas Quarterly, and more. https://www.as-coa.org/memberships/engage-americas-societyAccess other episodes of Latin America in Focus at www.as-coa.org/podcast and send us feedback at latamfocus@as-coa.org. Share and subscribe at Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. A previously released version of this podcast included information that fentanyl deaths are rising. In fact, the latest complete data from the CDC shows that from September 2023 to September 2024, overdose deaths fell by 24 percent.  Opinions expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect those of Americas Society/Council of the Americas or its members. 📧Sign up for our newsletters: as-coa.org/newslettersFollow us on social media:Twitter/X: @ASCOAInstagram: @ascoaLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ascoaonline/Bluesky: @ascoa.bsky.social Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ASCOA/Threads: https://www.threads.net/@ascoa 

Migration management has surged to the top of the policy agenda in the region due to unprecedented numbers of Latin Americans on the move in recent years. With the new administration in the United States—the Western Hemisphere’s leading destination for migrants—cracking down on immigration, how have other host countries in the Americas been coping with hundreds of thousands of new arrivals from places like Venezuela, Cuba, Haiti, and Ecuador?AS/COA Online speaks with Diego Chaves-González, senior manager of the Latin America and Caribbean Initiative at the Migration Policy Institute, and Professor João Jarochinski Silva of the Federal University of Roraima to get the rundown of Latin America’s efforts to receive the region’s migrants. We zoom in on a special program in Brazil, Operation Welcome, as an example, however imperfect, of how to regularize and integrate people who have left their home countries.You can read more about how migration policy has been changing in the region on our website. We’ve been tracking the Trump’s administration actions on Latin America at as-coa.org/trumpAccess other episodes of Latin America in Focus at www.as-coa.org/podcast and send us feedback at latamfocus@as-coa.org. Share and subscribe at Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.The music in this podcast is by Yamandu Costa, performing for Americas Society. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xI2oMLOkUbI Find out about upcoming concerts at: musicoftheamericas.org Share your love for Latin America: Join Americas Society. https://www.as-coa.org/memberships/engage-americas-societyBecoming a member gives you access to music performances, art gallery, book events, our magazine Americas Quarterly, and more. https://www.as-coa.org/memberships/engage-americas-society Opinions expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect those of Americas Society/Council of the Americas or its members. 📧Sign up for our newsletters: as-coa.org/newslettersFollow us on social media:Twitter/X: @ASCOAInstagram: @ascoaLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ascoaonline/Bluesky: @ascoa.bsky.social Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ASCOA/Threads: https://www.threads.net/@ascoa 

Vanda Felbab-Brown, a Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution, dives into Ecuador's escalating security crisis stemming from the rise of international criminal organizations. She discusses President Daniel Noboa's mano dura approach, highlighting its challenges amid soaring violence. The conversation unveils the complex ties between organized crime and local politics, and why replicating El Salvador's success under Nayib Bukele may be problematic for Ecuador. Tune in for a compelling look at the intersection of crime, security, and governance.

President Donald Trump broke tradition at his second inauguration, inviting world leaders, including from Latin America, to attend. But his day-one executive orders initiated a bumpy ride for the region in 2025. What can Latin American countries expect of "America First?" On this episode, three AS/COA experts—Carin Zissis, Brian Winter, and Juan Cruz Díaz—discussed Trump's initial moves on the border and migration, possible Mexico tariffs, the Panama Canal, and his Latin American allies. Listen to the editor-in-chiefs of AS/COA Online and Americas Quarterly, as well as the managing director of Cefeidas Group, on how Trump's second presidency will shape U.S. relations with Latin America.Learn more:Trump and Latin America: Inauguration Day and Executive Orders https://www.as-coa.org/articles/trump-and-latin-america-inauguration-day-and-executive-ordersRead the new Americas Quarterly issue: https://americasquarterly.org/article/new-aq-the-risk-from-the-north/Latin America Is About to Become a Priority for U.S. Foreign Policy, by Brian Winterhttps://www.as-coa.org/articles/latin-america-about-become-priority-us-foreign-policyAccess other episodes of Latin America in Focus at www.as-coa.org/podcast and send us feedback at latamfocus@as-coa.org. Share and subscribe at Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.    The music in this podcast is "Old Wooden Chair" performed by Nation Beat for Americas Society. Find out about upcoming concerts at: musicoftheamericas.org Opinions expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect those of Americas Society/Council of the Americas or its members. 📧Sign up for our newsletters: as-coa.org/newslettersFollow us on social media:Twitter/X: @ASCOAInstagram: @ascoaLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ascoaonline/Bluesky: @ascoa.bsky.social Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ASCOA/Threads: https://www.threads.net/@ascoa