The Americas Quarterly Podcast

After over 30 years, Argentines can finally say, once again, that they are the world's football champions. The victory brought millions to the streets in celebration, at a time when the country is going through economic and political troubles. What does it feel like to be there this week? What consequences, if any, could this have for the economy and for politics? Will the atmosphere of national unity witnessed in recent days soothe tensions in a highly polarized society? In this episode, Argentine political scientist and football fan María Esperanza Casullo, a professor at the National University of Río Negro, shares her reflections after her country's third World Cup win.

 In this episode, Brian Winter and Alberto Ramos, head of Latin America economic research at Goldman Sachs, assess the state of the region's economies as we head into 2023. Why were numbers for 2022 better than expected, and why didn’t it feel that way for many? What should governments do to avoid headwinds in 2023? How might external factors, such as the war in Ukraine, economic activity in China and U.S. interest rates impact Latin American finances? Hear Ramos’ expectations for Latin America as a whole and specific analysis on Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, Peru and Chile.  

It’s been a difficult decade for much of Latin America, but there are also some causes for optimism. As 2022 draws to a close, Moisés Naím, one of the region’s most respected and followed political commentators, provides an overview of where things stand. In a conversation with Brian Winter, Naím discusses the struggles of democracy, as well as recent developments in Venezuela, his home country. Naím is the author of the book The Revenge of Power, which chronicles the rise of autocratic leaders in recent years and was recently named by the New Yorker magazine as one of the best books of 2022. He is a Distinguished Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a columnist for El País and a member of Americas Quarterly’s editorial board.

Recent protests have illuminated a political divide in Mexico. First, thousands took to the streets to protest against President Andrés Manuel López Obrador's plan to overhaul the country's elections authority, the INE, or Instituto Nacional Electoral. Two weeks later, AMLO himself called a march to celebrate his four years in office, a move read by many as an attempt to showcase political strength. Why are some critics calling this a "make-or-break" moment for Mexican democracy? In this episode of The Americas Quarterly Podcast, Brian Winter and political commentator Carlos Bravo Regidor discuss what is at stake in the confrontation over the INE, what to expect from the 2024 elections and Mexico’s relationship with the United States.

 Memories of the December 2001 protests in Argentina arise whenever the country's social, economic and political crises deepen. Now, conditions are ripe for restlessness: inflation is nearing 100%, there are protests in the streets and the political scenario is convoluted. Could Argentina be close to another moment of social upheaval, similar to what happened in December 2001? In this episode, Brian Winter discusses popular discontent, the 2023 elections and Argentine foreign relations with Benjamin Gedan, deputy director of the Latin American Program at the Wilson Center, the director of its Argentina Project and a former South America director on the White House National Security Council during the Obama administration. 

The election in Brazil is over, but the country remains divided and there are considerable challenges ahead for President-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. In this episode, Brian Winter speaks with political reporter and columnist for O Globo newspaper Malu Gaspar about how a possible institutional rupture was averted, what Lula's priorities will be and what he will face while trying to reunite Brazil's political class and address the country's economic, social and environmental problems.

Millennials account for 23% of Latin America’s population, or roughly 155 million people. Two of them are already at the helm of their countries, Gabriel Boric in Chile and Nayib Bukele in El Salvador. They represent starkly different political projects - the latter more authoritarian, the former, democratic. Which vision is more likely to prevail in the coming years? How is this generation changing politics in the region? In this episode, Andrea Moncada, a millennial Peruvian journalist and the author of a piece that tries to answer that question joins Brian Winter to discuss who are millennials in politics, how their priorities differ from that of previous generations and what their ascendancy means for the future of the region.

The spread of evangelical Christianity is changing politics in Brazil, Peru, Chile, Bolivia and elsewhere in Latin America. In this episode of The Americas Quarterly Podcast, we do an examination of how far this has gone in a number of countries, from Brazil to Guatemala, and what it means for future elections in the region. Our guest, Professor Taylor Boas, is the author of Evangelicals and Electoral Politics in Latin America: A Kingdom of This World, which is expected to be published in February. Professor Boas argues that we are likely to see a stronger alliance between evangelicals and Catholics, and that while there have been electoral successes, evangelicals may actually be losing the culture wars in the region.

The backsliding of democracy is a reality in many parts of the world, and Central America has been no exception. Nicaragua is under an authoritarian regime. El Salvador’s President has announced he will run for reelection despite his country’s constitution forbidding it. And even in Costa Rica, once seen as a bastion of stability, there have been worrying signs. What is pushing this trend in the region, and what are the efforts to reverse it? In this episode of The Americas Quarterly Podcast, Brian Winter and former President of Costa Rica Luis Guillermo Solís analyze the political scenario in Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica and Guatemala.

Cuba is facing a mixture of short-term and long-term problems. Hurricane Ian has devastated the island. This came amid a long period of setbacks, including a deep economic contraction and a severe migration crisis. In recent weeks, Cubans have taken to the streets. Is the country headed for even greater instability? How, if at all, could the relationship with the United States change? And is there an existential risk to the Cuban government itself? In this episode of The Americas Quarterly Podcast, Brian Winter speaks to political scientist Javier Corrales about the island's predicament and what might happen next.