Learn Spanish with Stories

Honestly, we all love Latin America, but we're not blind to the fact that many things simply don't work or could be better. Whether it's at the political or social level, Latin America has the potential to be a much more developed region. But what is the cause behind all of it? Is it a problem of corruption or bad decisions? Could it even be... a cultural issue? In this special DUAL...

Rock music has always been somewhat controversial in conservative societies, and Mexico (a highly religious and Catholic country) held great distrust and contempt towards this music which, according to some, was linked to the "Devil" and "bad behaviors". But then Avándaro happened... an improvised festival which, unexpectedly, blew up and attracted 10x the crowds they had initi...

The internet has shaped every language it has come in contact with, and Spanish is no different. It doesn't help that Spanish is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world, with 20 independent countries and one territory (Puerto Rico, if you're curious) speaking it in their own unique ways. But why did this happen, and how have social media and video platforms helped accelerate...

Mexico is no stranger to cartel-related violence, and early in 2026, we witnessed how the death of a cartel leader caused an explosion of terror across 12 states - businesses burned, roads blocked off, and even an airport being attacked. Flights were canceled, transport was paralyzed, and kids had to stay home, as the situation was not only unpredictable but also highly volatile, with the cartel p...

Bad Bunny. A name, a personality, a legend (maybe)? Everyone knows him, everybody feels  something  towards him, whether it's love, admiration, or pure rejection. He's the face for Latin American music right now, and he seems to be skyrocketing towards more and more success as the years pass. But what's the story behind this singer, this "Conejo Malo" whose real name is Be...

Living in Latin America, you'll hear the following nostalgic phrase at least once in your lifetime (especially if somebody is complaining about laziness or bad habits): "If only we had been colonized by the Brits..." This belief, shared by a certain portion of the Latin American region and often used when looking north at the vastly superior technological development achieved in the...

Let's do an exercise - since we've already explored how Latin America has been changed by Spanish colonization, by the influence of the United States, and other nations... why don't we spin it around for once, and ask how Latin America has influenced the rest of the world? After all, Italy wouldn't have its beloved tomatoes if not for the Aztecs and Andeans cultivating it; we w...

On January 3, 2026, Venezuela's dictator, Nicolás Maduro, was removed from power. Plenty of us already know this headline, and many are already aware of how this looked from the outside - Donald Trump's government prepared the attack meticulously before executing, and Maduro ended up in chains, headed to New York aboard the USS Iwo Jima. However, very few have wondered what it felt like...

We like to highlight the beauty and magic of Latin America in as many episodes as we can... but sometimes, there is "another" truth that is not as pretty: Latin America, for all its magic, can be a very dangerous place. In today's episode of the Learn Spanish with Stories podcast, we're heading to the region's most dangerous neighborhoods (places commonly known as barrios...

Where do names come from, and most importantly, where do country names come from? Usually, they have some sort of historic link with tribes who already lived there, with a great historic figure, or simply as a description of something that explorers saw. But in Latin America, quite a few names were given due to transcription or translation errors, such as "Costa Rica" being literally fro...

Do you remember the first lullabies that were sung to you as a baby? Probably not, but there definitely is a song in your mind that brings you back to your earliest, most innocent days. Latin America, a cultural mix, has plenty of lullabies with interesting origins. Some came to arrive all the way from Africa, with the slaves that crossed the oceans and worked tirelessly under colonial rule; other...

Unless you've missed a  lot  of the recent news, you'll probably have heard about María Corina Machado's Nobel Peace Prize award, and how US President Donald Trump soon became the recipient of her winning medal... but what is the backstory behind all of this? Too much has been spoken about Venezuela from sides that are extremely politically driven (on both sides of the spectrum), bu...

There are some really amazing stories regarding independence and freedom in Latin America, but what if I told you that the episode you're about to listen to is about the first settlement to gain freedom in ALL of the Americas (North AND South America): San Basilio de Palenque. Located on the Caribbean coast of Colombia, Cartagena was one of the main slave hubs of the continent, and a place wh...

Latin America has suffered under fascism throughout its history, and right-wing dictators have made a strong negative impact on the region throughout several decades of the region's existence. These, perhaps, have been the more bloodthirsty of past and present dictators, willing to harm citizens to effectively further their goals. One of the most terrible dictators Latin America ever had was...

Some of the most interesting and curious flags in the world are those in Latin America; after all, aren't some, like, almost identical to each other? And why would that be? Besides, what's with Paraguay having a two-sided flag (the ONLY one in the world to have this characteristic)? Or Brazil having "Ordem e Progresso" stamped across the center of its flag? And why do Uruguay a...

History tells too many tales of great men, but what about the incredible women that liberated countries and fought valiantly in wars where they were overpowered and outnumbered? Manuela Sáenz was such a woman who, despite being seen at the time as little more than "Simón Bolívar's love interest" was actually a political and military mastermind in freeing the colonies from Spanish ru...

One of the most exciting plans you can have for traveling across Latin America is by road trip. After all, it is one of the most biologically, climatologically, and socially diverse regions in the world, with over 670 million people spread across 20+ countries, and there is so much to see. In today's episode of the Learn Spanish with Stories podcast, our protagonist Daniel finally embarks on...

Latin America has produced some of the most amazing artists, and today's star of our podcast is no exception. Rubén Blades, born to two musicians in a humble neighborhood, grew rapidly to become one of the world's household names when it comes to salsa and other tropical music. However, he didn't stay limited to being recognized as a world-class "salsero", oh no... he stud...

The United States and Latin America are connected in a massive amount of ways, and it's not just a matter of geography: generations have grown up listening to American music, watching American TV and Hollywood productions, and receiving a heavy inflow of cultural influences in every aspect. But it hasn't just been culture - it's been technology, politics, worldviews, and so much mor...

Hybrid languages - have you ever heard of them? Spanish has at least two main hybrid languages: Spanglish (which you've probably come in contact with at some point) and Portuñol, which features heavily in the border areas between Brazil and other South American nations. But I'm sure you've never heard of Llanito, and other variations of the Spanish language. In this fun episode of t...

One of the scariest and most controversial places on the planet is located in Cuba, in a city of the same name: Guantánamo Bay detention camp. Established by President George W. Bush in 2002, following the Islamist attacks of September 11, it was created to house terrorism suspects and "illegal enemy combatants". However, the reality is that this prison has held many an innocent, those s...

Latin America is a melting pot of cultures, as you'll already know - Spanish culture mixing with Amerindian tradition, and with African rituals combining with Aztec, Mayan, British and... Dutch(?) influences, somehow - so you already know that there's going to be very bold and unique ways of perceiving life, death, religion and belief systems in general. So, it comes as no surprise that...

They say that crisis and pain create great men and women, but life really went a bit too far with Juana Azurduy - first, she lost her parents, and then she would go on to lose her children... but it's what happened in the middle of these things that would mark her remarkable story as a heroine in the fight for Bolivia's independence. A curious girl during her infancy, she developed a cou...

As a soldier in Latin America, what happens when you retire? One could think that each state would have a great retirement plan for each soldier who has risked their life for their nation: a decent home, a dignified compensation, health benefits... but this couldn't be further from reality.  The reality is that soldiers are practically discarded - thrown aside, left to fend for themselves in...

Despite the traditionally sketchy leaders we've had in Latin America in the past century, one of the most memorable and internationally loved Latin American presidents in recent times has been José Alberto "Pepe" Mujica. Even though he was quite unconventional in his origins, the way he spoke, and especially the fact that he was jailed for his participation as a guerrilla fighter (a...