Learn Spanish with Stories

Spanish is just like English - everyone speaks it in the same way. I'm kidding: we know that English has tons of dialects, and Spanish is just the same in this aspect. Even more complicated is the fact that Spanish is an official language in 21 countries and is spoken widely across 6 continents (with Oceania, not Antarctica being the one where it  isn't ). So, what I'm getting at he...

There have been some wonderful female heroes throughout history, and South America is no exception. Policarpa Salavarrieta (La Pola) is one of the most famous cases of them all: a woman who defied a massive colonizing force to wake the people of Colombia to the desire for freedom and independence, and whose story ended in an ambiguous (positive) way. In this episode of the Learn Spanish with Stori...

The US and other international powers have been meddling in Latin America for as long as we can remember, but one of the worst cases of foreign intervention (ever) occurred in Nicaragua, in the mid-19th Century (and may explain Nicaragua's strong apprehension towards the US today). William Walker. Manifest Destiny. Have you ever heard of these terms? William Walker was a military man with amb...

The FIFA World Cup is probably the world's biggest sport event, viewed by over 1 BILLION people worldwide, but how did it begin, and why did a tiny South American country, Uruguay, get the honor of hosting its first ever edition? In this episode of the Learn Spanish with Stories Podcast, we travel all the way back to the late 1920s, when preparations were just starting for the first ever FIFA...

Though controversial, it would be plausible to say that Venezuela has always had controversial leaders, with some bringing glory to the nation, and others bringing sorrow and pain. In the case of José Antonio Páez, both things were simultaneously true, and this strongman and farmer-turned-soldier is an often discussed individual in the history not only of Venezuela, but all nations belonging to &q...

What makes somebody "Latin American?" (or Latino*?) Is it being born in Latin America? Is it being born to Latino parents? Or is it adopting the culture and actually feeling Latino? In this special DUAL NARRATOR episode, we go over this frustration that so many Latinos and non-Latinos can go through, especially those who have been born to Latino parents outside of Latin America, or who h...

There is a country in South America that is particularly "different" from its neighbors in many ways, but the most interesting is its language and culture: I'm talking about Paraguay. Not only is the only nation where the most-spoken language is an indigenous language (Guaraní), but it also has a very strong "mestizo" presence (over 93%), making it one of the most homogene...

Economic crises are nothing new to us, especially in these times of unpredictability and instability, but Latin America took it to a WHOLE new level in the 1970s. During a particularly wealthy economic period, banks in the US and other rich nations began to lend billions in cash with few conditions (really, all they asked was "pay it later"), with Latin American governments siphoning it...

Latin America, a region of almost 700 million people, speaks mostly one language (Brazil will have to forgive us for this generalization), but we're not talking of one  single Spanish language that everyone understands. In fact, each country has its own dialects, sayings, and differences that can be as crucial as they can be careful - after all, some completely normal words in one nation coul...

We rarely hear about the local wars in South America, but some were just as ugly and crude as the historical wars in Europe and the US - and the Thousand Day War (technically, the 1,130 Day War, but the given name sounds catchier) was no different. A conflict that initiated when Colombia's Liberals decided that enough was enough, and that they would not stand for the corruption and impoverish...

Spain, just like Latin America, has been a popular place to visit and move to as an expat, due to its beautiful beaches, modern cities, and great food. However, also like Latin America, it is affected by corruption, a lack of opportunities, and overall, bad policies that are making life harder for its citizens. And while many of its ministers and politicians flock to social media to make claims on...

Life in Latin America can be stressful or it can be the most comfortable existence you'll ever have - it all depends on how you look at it. In today's DUAL NARRATOR episode and Season 4 finale, we fly over to warm, sunny Cali to join Daniel (a Colombian looking to move to Spain) and Sofia (a Spaniard looking to move to Colombia) as they spend a few months together and explore the next st...

One of the saddest things about crime in Latin America is that even the worst criminals can benefit from impunity. In the case of Linda Loaiza, this was demonstrated in the most brazen and shameless way possible. Linda was a young woman from the west of Venezuela who moved to the capital, Caracas, to study and become a veterinarian. But one day, she was kidnapped by a wealthy and well-connected in...

Guatemala has a Nobel prize winner who you've probably never heard of, but she's one of the most incredible cases of a small voice being powerful enough to topple giants: Rigoberta Menchú. A poor indigenous woman in a nation where belonging to any of those three conditions reduces you to background noise, Rigoberta lost multiple family members in the terrible events of the 36-year Guatem...

Rock music is no longer as popular in the world as it once was (and what a loss THAT has been, am I right?) - but rock "in español" has a very important place in world history. Not only was it super difficult to produce and promote (thanks to the fact that Latin American dictatorships would read the lyrics with magnifying glasses to ensure it wasn't "inciting violence"), b...

The US has done incredible things in its history, but it has also been involved in some of the most tragic events, too. The El Mozote Massacre that occurred on December 11, 1981, is among the worst of these US-sponsored tragedies. With communist guerrilla movements spreading across El Salvador, both the American and Salvadoran governments knew that they had to quickly put a stop to this before it...

Today's episode is different. And it's different not because it's a true story (because we always feature those on our podcast), but because your narrator, Anthony, went through the events expressed in the tale. This is the reality of how Venezuela collapsed, of what led 7 million people to flee the country and seek a better life elsewhere. It's an account of how any average fa...

The lithium in your phone's battery, maybe the device you're using to read this - it may probably have come from Chile, and the copper in the wires of your charger may have come from Peru... Latin America is and has always been one of the main provider of precious metals in the world. And this didn't begin with the Spanish and Portuguese colonization, either... the natives had been...

The gods of ancient Latin American belief were very interesting and different from what we have to come to know in Asia, Europe, and North America... they were somewhat more human, said to walk among us when they felt like it, and collaborated closely with animals and nature to make things occur. Quetzalcóatl, the Feathered Serpent, is one such example, perhaps the greatest of them all... disguise...

Retiring in Latin America as a foreigner = 👍​ Retiring in Latin America as a Latin American = ​☠️​ Let's face it - when you think of the Caribbean, Brazilian beaches, the Angel Falls in Venezuela, Mexican resorts and Argentine plains, there's a feeling of relief and joy that you can spend your final years just exploring the land and living for cheap. But what does it look like for a nat...

There is a Filipino hero who, despite raising his voice and an entire nation against the Spanish colonizers, is so respected globally that he has his own monument in the center of Madrid, Spain's capital. His name is José Rizal - but what's the story behind this incredible figure, who, unlike Simón Bolívar or José de Martín (among others), never raised his arms against the Spanish and in...

If you think only North American politics get crazy around, before or after election season, then you're very mistaken: Latin America has a serious problem with political polarization. And the worst part, frankly (as a Latin American myself), is that both sides are very poor at doing their job. Because sadly, both the left and the right wing of politics have failed to follow through with thei...

"Spain should ask for forgiveness" - these were the words of Mexico's new president, Claudia Sheinbaum, shortly after being elected. She took it a step further and decided not to invite Spain's King Felipe VI after he failed to respond, and this initiated a grand debate: should Spain apologize for what their ancestors did 500 years ago? Some claim it is a fair demand by a numbe...

Donald Trump is back in power, and he is already taking action to bring mass migration into the US from the south to a screeching halt (understandable based on the numbers we were witnessing, but not a popular decision). But he's also affecting Latin America in many other ways, several of which are extremely harmful for local economies. You see: Donald Trump is "America First", thro...

If you think about a psychiatrist, you usually associate this with someone of very high social standing, and if it's somebody who even served the president, then there's no way they could be a wrongdoer, right? Right...? Wrong. Edmundo Chirinos, despite even being President Hugo Chavez's psychiatrist at one point, led a despicable double life in which he sedated and abused his femal...