Latin America in Focus

Donald Trump's decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris Agreement might make Latin American countries more competitive in the global shift towards a clean economy. Brown University's Guy Edwards spoke with AS/COA Online’s Luisa Leme about how the region can attract investments for clean energy and resilient infrastructure while playing a global role in the climate change fight. Opinio...

Brazil’s political crisis does not mean there aren’t new economic opportunities in the country. Prospectiva Consulting’s Ricardo Sennes spoke with AS/COA Online’s Luisa Leme about how the government is attracting new investments amid corruption scandals and what presidential candidates need to do to be successful in the upcoming elections. Opinions expressed in this podcast do not necessarily refl...

It’s election season in Chile, marking the start of a long electoral cycle across some 10 Latin American countries voting for president through 2018. Chile’s first-round vote isn’t until November 19, but presidential hopefuls are already prepping ahead of the July 2 primary. Political scientist Patricio Navia spoke to AS/COA Online’s Elizabeth Gonzalez about the top issues and candidates in the ra...

Francisco Goldman spent nearly two decades living off and on in Mexico City when he decided to take on a daunting task: learning to drive in the biggest megalopolis in the Americas. In a conversation with poet Mónica de la Torre at the Americas Society, the writer talks about his memoir The Interior Circuit, wending his way through his driving adventure, politics and crime in the capital, and the...

Congressman Rick Crawford (R-AR) has taken on the role of arbiter when it comes to negotiating U.S. agricultural trade to Cuba, sponsoring a bill that allows U.S. firms to let Cuba pay for exports with credit. The legislator has been working with Cuban-American lawmakers to widen the base of support on Capitol Hill and line up with the White House's trade agenda. “This fits very well in the Trump...

Brazil’s pension reform delay is an obstacle for the country to regain its investment-grade credit rating, Fitch Rating’s Rafael Guedes told AS/COA Online’s Luisa Leme. The head of the ratings agency in Brazil explains the rocky road for rising investor confidence to translate into sustained economic growth. Opinions expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect those of Americas Society/Co...

“Signing an accord is really not the key. Implementing the accord is the key,” says Virginia Bouvier, a senior advisor for peace processes at the U.S. Institute of Peace. She tells AS/COA Online’s Holly K. Sonneland which agenda items are still pending, the role of the international community, and how everything from elections to the weather affects Colombia’s landmark deal. Opinions expressed in...

En Latinoamérica, al menos cuatro países hoy en día han legalizado matrimonios del mismo sexo. Sin embargo a pesar de esto, los avances en los derechos de la comunidad LGBT están rezagados en comparación con la opinión pública en la región. Jaime Parada Hoyl, el primer político abiertamente gay elegido en Chile, conversa con Elizabeth Gonzalez de AS/COA Online sobre los desafíos que enfrenta su pa...

Tras haber sido una de las regiones del mundo con mayor representación femenina en la política, el hemisferio occidental podría quedarse sin ninguna presidenta o primera ministra en el 2018. Violeta Domínguez del banco de desarrollo CAF habló con Elizabeth Gonzalez de AS/COA Online sobre los avances alcanzados y los obstáculos que impiden cerrar la brecha de género en las Americas. Opinions expres...

What’s the next step for Mexico in its 10-year-old drug war? What would it take to end the country’s corruption epidemic? Who will win the 2018 presidential election? Jorge Castañeda, ex-foreign secretary of Mexico, spoke with AS/COA Online’s Carin Zissis, sharing answers to these questions and how they relate to turbulence in U.S.-Mexican ties under the Trump administration. Opinions expressed in...

China’s growing middle class is an opportunity for Latin American economies, but the region has to be proactive about it, says Angel Melguizo. The head of the Latin American and Caribbean Unit in the OECD’s Development Center tells AS/COA Online’s Elizabeth Gonzalez about the changing relationship with Beijing, from rising trade with Mexico to Venezuela's loans. Opinions expressed in this podcast...

Something surprising happened with the Mexican peso since Donald Trump took office. The currency, which took a beating during the U.S. election, started making gains. So what’s ahead for the Mexican economy? Jorge Suárez-Vélez, a columnist with El Financiero, tells AS/COA Online’s Carin Zissis what’s working for and against Mexico as we begin the Trump era. Opinions expressed in this podcast do no...

Despite uncertainty facing North America over NAFTA, there are positive trends across Latin America, from the biggest to the smallest economies, says Alejandro Werner, the fund's Western Hemisphere director, in this podcast with AS/COA Online's Holly K. Sonneland. Opinions expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect those of Americas Society/Council of the Americas or its members. Follow...

After a year of political and economic turbulence in Brazil, Maurício Santoro of the Rio de Janeiro State University spoke with AS/COA Online's Luisa Leme about what the rise of political outsiders and a global protectionist tone mean for the country in 2017 and beyond. Opinions expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect those of Americas Society/Council of the Americas or its members. F...

El general retirado Antonio Rivero es uno de los pocos militares venezolanos que ha salido de los rangos del chavismo. Y ha pagado cara su defección. En este episodio, el general habla con Holly K. Sonneland de AS/COA Online sobre el nivel de descontento entre los cuadros militares en Venezuela, la probabilidad de que haya una salida “de fuerza” a la crisis actual y las diferencias entre el Presid...

How will Cuba change after Fidel Castro’s death and with a new U.S. president taking office? Richard Feinberg shared his insights with AS/COA’s Alana Tummino at a launch for his new book Open for Business: Building the New Cuban Economy. Opinions expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect those of Americas Society/Council of the Americas or its members. Follow us on social media: X: @ASC...

While pundits piece together what was behind a Trump win in the U.S., Mexicans are looking ahead to their 2018 presidential vote. The results could be just as hard to predict, thanks to shifting political views held by millennials. Nacion321’s Alejandro Moreno and Pancho Parra tell AS/COA Online’s Carin Zissis why Mexico’s next election belongs to that generation. Opinions expressed in this podcas...

The worst thing about Venezuela's crisis? It's that there's nothing left from the trillions of dollars reaped during the oil boom, says Caracas Capital's Russ Dallen. In this podcast, Dallen, also a lawyer and journalist, analyzes the country's latest swap deal, production figures, and more with AS/COA Online's Holly K. Sonneland. Opinions expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect those...

Cristina López was 29 when she and a group of women colleagues defied a gender norm and started a law firm. Nine years later, it’s become one of Panama’s leading legal firms and continues to be run by women. López spoke with AS/COA Online’s Carin Zissis about what sets apart an all-female firm. Opinions expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect those of Americas Society/Council of the A...

What makes Medellín the Silicon Valley of Latin America? For tech entrepreneur Nelson Almanzar, it’s the talent, technology, and business resources. In an interview with AS/COA Online’s Elizabeth Gonzalez, Almanzar talks about opening up shop for Talos Digital in Colombia’s second-largest city. Opinions expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect those of Americas Society/Council of the A...

Earthquakes. Floods. Traffic. Pollution. Mexico City is prone to its fair share of hazards. But how does a metropolitan area that's home to 20 million people not only respond to them but also prepare to mitigate the risks? With a resilience strategy. AS/COA Online's Carin Zissis spoke with Mexico City's Chief Resilience Officer Arnoldo Matus Kramer about the capital's new resilience plan, starting...

Florida's changing Latino demographics are turning the swing state blue. The Miami polling firm’s Anthony Williams talked with AS/COA Online's Holly K. Sonneland about Donald Trump's "astronomically" low approval rating among Hispanic voters and how Hillary Clinton should focus on making sure people actually get out of bed and vote for her on Election Day. Opinions expressed in this podc...

In Venezuela, since the government no longer follows the Constitution, calls to practice civil disobedience in fact seek a return to order, says congressional opposition leader Julio Borges. The Justice First party leader talks with AS/COA Online's Holly K. Sonneland about the recall referendum against President Nicolás Maduro, the September 1 march on Caracas, and telling his young quadruplets wh...

Venezuelan oil production is at its lowest point in 13 years, and that means Cuba risks taking on a $1.3-billion deficit if oil shipments from Caracas were to stop. University of Texas at Austin's Jorge R. Piñon talks with AS/COA Online's Elizabeth Gonzalez about whether the island's economy can handle the shock. Opinions expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect those of Americas Socie...

Getting ready for the Olympics brought big changes to Rio, but the city was already going through a transformation. Rio-based Julia Michaels, author of RioReal blog, talks with AS/COA Online’s Luisa Leme about what cariocas have gained from mega-event preparations, even as Brazil tackles corruption scandals and economic woes. Opinions expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect those of A...