The Americas Quarterly Podcast

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.

Brazil's election results were much tighter than many predicted and former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and President Jair Bolsonaro are headed to a runoff on October 30. Although Lula is still a slight favorite, Bolsonaro has received key endorsements and bolsonarismo showed its strength, winning majorities in the House and the Senate as well as key governorships. In this episode of The Americas Quarterly Podcast, Brian Winter speaks to Sarah Maslin, Brazil correspondent for The Economist, about what explains the results and what we can expect from the campaign moving forward.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro was elected promising huge reforms. But since taking office, he has given mixed signals regarding how far, and how fast, his government might change Colombia’s economy, society and role in the world. Will the country’s class structure be significantly altered? Will there be a shift in drug policy? Will Colombia drop oil and coal from its energy matrix? And how much support do his proposals have? In this episode of The Americas Quarterly Podcast, Ricardo Ávila, senior analyst for the newspaper El Tiempo, takes stock of Petro’s first months as head of state and assesses how transformative his presidency could be.

As the dust begins to settle on Chileans’ emphatic rejection of their proposed new constitution, the political class has started negotiations for a new process. What provisions is the new charter likely to contain? Who might write it? Where does the rejection leave the young leftist president Gabriel Boric, and what will happen to Chile’s troubled economy amid such uncertainty? Isabel Aninat, Dean of the Faculty of Law at Adolfo Ibáñez University, answers these and other questions on this episode of The Americas Quarterly Podcast.

Brazil’s election is now entering its final stage, and President Jair Bolsonaro is consistently trailing former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. If the trend prevails, will Bolsonaro concede? Many in Brazil think he will not. In this episode of The Americas Quarterly Podcast, veteran political analyst Thomas Traumman examines the final weeks of the campaign and what could happen next. He discusses the latest poll numbers, Bolsonaro's narrowing options for victory, the crucial roles of gender and religion in the race, as well as what to expect from the military if Bolsonaro contests the results.

There is an unmistakable trend in Latin American politics today: the left is in charge in some of the region’s largest countries — Chile, Bolivia, Argentina, Colombia and Mexico. Brazil, the biggest economy, could soon join this cohort if former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva wins the October election. This in many ways recalls the original pink tide of the 2000s. In this episode of The Americas Quarterly Podcast, international relations expert Oliver Stuenkel discusses what he expects from this new wave of leaders and what they represent for the region’s major economies and diplomatic relationships. He also gives his assessment of the presidential campaign in Brazil and what a Lula victory could mean for the region and for the new pink tide.

It has surprised many that there have been more disagreements between the US and Mexico under a Democratic presidency than under a Republican one. What explains this? Is the relationship, so critical to both countries, at risk of a genuine deterioration? What can we expect from Andrés Manuel López Obrador as he tries to navigate a weakened economy, rising violence and the upcoming 2024 elections? Professor, political analyst, writer and activist Denise Dresser takes on these and others questions in this episode of the Americas Quarterly Podcast.