The arrest – and return – of General Salvador Cienfuegos by U.S. authorities were both surprising developments in what has already turned out to be an unpredictable U.S.-Mexico relationship under Presidents Donald Trump and Andrés Manuel López Obrador. But a “reevaluation of the Mexican approach” is likely in store when the Joe Biden administration takes over, says the Wilson Center’s Duncan Wood.Guests:-Duncan Wood is director of the Mexico Institute at the Wilson Center.-Brian Winter is the editor-in-chief of Americas Quarterly.Supplemental Reading:"Latin America’s Militaries Are Back. What Does it Mean?" (https://www.americasquarterly.org/fulltextarticle/new-aq-latin-americas-militaries-are-back-what-does-it-mean/)

Joe Biden - not Donald Trump - will be the next U.S. president. What does that mean for Trump's biggest fan in South America, Jair Bolsonaro? How might a Biden victory change Brazil's relationship with China? AQ columnist Oliver Stuenkel joins editor-in-chief Brian Winter to break down what life after Trump could really mean for the Brazilian president and his base.Guests:-Oliver Stuenkel is a contributing columnist for Americas Quarterly and teaches international relations at the Getulio Vargas Foundation in São Paulo.-Brian Winter is the editor-in-chief of Americas Quarterly.Supplemental Reading:"Why a Trump Defeat Would Be a Disaster for Bolsonaro" by Oliver Stuenkel(https://www.americasquarterly.org/article/why-a-trump-defeat-would-be-a-disaster-for-bolsonaro/)"Joe Biden Answers 10 Questions on Latin America"(https://www.americasquarterly.org/article/updated-2020-candidates-answer-10-questions-on-latin-america/)

Chileans voted overwhelmingly to embark on what will be a long, expensive and imperfect journey to a new constitution. Despite the challenges, there's plenty of reason for optimism, says author and journalist Paula Schmidt. AQ's Brian Winter spoke with Schmidt about what we can expect next, the new constitution's potential to help close Chile's gender gap, and the marginalized community that Schmidt fears is being left out of the process.Guests:-Paula Schmidt is a journalist, a columnist in the digital newspaper El Líbero, and a professor at Chile’s Universidad de Los Andes.-Brian Winter is the editor-in-chief of Americas Quarterly.Supplemental Reading:"The Politics of Chile’s New Constitution" by Patricio Navia (https://www.americasquarterly.org/article/the-politics-of-chiles-new-constitution/)

Like his presidency in general, Donald Trump’s relationship with Latin America has not been without surprises. Among them: his unexpectedly close relationship with some of the region’s key leaders. But how have US-Latin America relations really changed under Trump – and where might they be headed if Trump surprises again and wins reelection? Juan Cruz, a former special advisor to the president, gave AQ’s Brian Winter an insider’s view on Trump’s approach to the region.Guests:- Juan Cruz is a senior advisor at the Center for Strategic & International Studies and the former point person on Latin America at the National Security Council under President Trump.- Brian Winter is the editor-in-chief of Americas QuarterlySupplemental Listening:"AQ Podcast: What a Biden Presidency Would Mean for Latin America"(https://www.americasquarterly.org/article/aq-podcast-what-a-biden-presidency-would-mean-for-latin-america/)

The early days of the pandemic saw Argentines rally around their new president, Alberto Fernández. But “those days are over,” says pollster Alejandro Catterberg, who points to a resurgence in polarization as COVID cases spread and the economy sinks deeper into recession. That’s bad news for the half of the country that wants to move past the divisive politics of former Presidents Mauricio Macri and Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, said Catterberg, who spoke to AQ’s Brian Winter from Buenos Aires.Guests:- Alejandro Catterberg is founder and director of Poliarquía Consultores, an Argentine polling firm.- Brian Winter is the editor-in-chief of Americas Quarterly.Background Reading:"After the Default: Argentina’s Unsustainable '20/80' Economy" by Eduardo Levy Yeyati(https://www.americasquarterly.org/article/after-the-default-argentinas-unsustainable-20-80-economy/)

Amid a pandemic and ongoing food shortages, politics isn't exactly the top priority for many Venezuelans. But fresh divisions within the country's opposition are likely to have significant repercussions on how the coalition engages with the Nicolas Maduro regime. On this week's podcast, AQ's Brian Winter spoke to the Washington Post's Ana Vanessa Herrero about the opposition's changing dynamics and diverging plans.Guests:- Ana Vanessa Herrero is a correspondent for the Washington Post based in Caracas, Venezuela.- Brian Winter is the editor-in-chief of Americas Quarterly.

The corruption case against former Pemex CEO Emilio Lozoya has turned Mexican business and politics upside down. But how much will the case ultimately change - and for whom? Transparencia Mexicana's Eduardo Bohórquez joined AQ's Brian Winter to plot out where Latin America's latest big corruption scandal may lead.Guests:- Eduardo Bohórquez is the executive director of Transparencia Mexicana. - Brian Winter is the editor-in-chief of Americas Quarterly.

The situation in Brazil "feels pretty bad right now," says Arminio Fraga, a policy expert and former central bank chief. But on the podcast this week, Fraga sees reason for a nuanced discussion. He spoke to AQ's Brian Winter about the government's big pandemic spending, how to strengthen Brazil's health care system, and why he considers himself a "progressive liberal type."Guests:- Arminio Fraga is the chair of the Institute for Health Policy Studies (IEPS)and a former president of Brazil’s central bank.- Brian Winter is the editor-in-chief of Americas Quarterly.Background reading:"Despite Troubles, Brazil’s SUS Health System Can Be a Model for Latin America," by Arminio Fraga, Miguel Lago and Rudi Rocha (https://www.americasquarterly.org/article/5-big-ideas-universal-health/)

"The countries of the hemisphere are at an inflection point," writes Juan S. Gonzalez, a former special advisor to Vice President Joe Biden, in a new op-ed for AQ. Gonzalez spoke to AQ's Brian Winter about how a Biden administration might lead the region in confronting challenges like COVID-19, climate change and democratic instability, with insight into how Biden might engage Nicolás Maduro and why the presidential contender sees Colombia as the "keystone to the region."Guests:- Juan S. Gonzalez is a principal at JSG Strategy and a former special advisor to Vice President Joe Biden.- Brian Winter is the editor-in-chief of Americas Quarterly. Background Reading:"Joe Biden and the Future of the Americas," by Juan S. Gonzalez (https://www.americasquarterly.org/article/joe-biden-and-the-future-of-the-americas/)"Miller Versus Biden: Competing U.S. Doctrines for Latin America," by Russell Crandall (https://www.americasquarterly.org/article/miller-versus-biden-competing-u-s-doctrines-for-latin-america/)"The Incredible Unknown Bond between Joe Biden and Brazil’s Dilma Rousseff," by Brian Winter (https://www.americasquarterly.org/article/the-incredible-unknown-bond-between-joe-biden-and-brazils-dilma-rousseff/)

Today, the density and informality that often define Latin American cities have made them particularly vulnerable to the coronavirus. But that doesn't mean their future is a bleak one, says Eugene Zapata Garesché of the Global Resilient Cities Network. The urban development expert spoke to AQ's Brian Winter about the ways cities are changing, and how good local leadership has never been so important.Guests: - Eugene Zapata Garesché is the managing director for Latin America and the Caribbean at the Global Resilient Cities Network- Brian Winter is the editor-in-chief of Americas QuarterlyBackground reading:"Could the Pandemic Start a Biking Revolution in Latin America?" by Leonie Rauls (https://www.americasquarterly.org/article/could-the-pandemic-start-a-biking-revolution-in-latin-america/)