Latin Pulse

This week, Latin Pulse focuses on the presidential elections and debate over indigenous rights in Bolivia. Evo Morales, Bolivia's popular president runs for a third term in office against Samuel Doria Medina. If Morales wins a third term, what will that mean for diplomacy with the United States? The latter half of the program reflects on the emergence of indigenous rights in Bolivia and how that runs against the trend of suppression of indigenous political power. The news segment covers the disappearance of students in Mexico and the controversy it has caused. The program includes in-depth interviews with: Forrest Hylton of Northwestern University; and Rob Albro of American University.  Executive Producer: Rick Rockwell;  Producer: Jim Singer; and Associate Producer: Gabriela Canchola. (To download or stream this podcast, click here.)  (The program is 30 minutes in length and the file size is 42 MB.)   podcast news Latin America Mexico extrajudicial killings indigenous issues Guatemala Bolivia elections politics MAS Party Peru Brazil Samual Doria Medina Evo Morales indigenous rights violence infrastructure economics trade Venezuela diplomacy media coca cocaine colonialism agriculture mining environment environmentalism energy transportation DEA extractive industries Hugo Chavez Drug War drug legalization United Nations land reform indigenous politics Drug Enforcement Administration

This week, Latin Pulse looks at elections and economics: Brazil’s presidential election and Argentina’s economic crisis.   The Brazilian elections feature three major party candidates vying to get more than 50 percent of the vote or move on to a second round of voting.  The program looks at the chances of upstart candidate Marina Silva of the Socialist Party and debates her chances of upsetting President Dilma Rousseff.  The program also gives the latest on the Argentine debt crisis and explores its origins.  The news segment covers the recent killing of charismatic Venezuelan youth leader, Robert Serra. The program includes in-depth interviews with: Prof. Jose Antonio Cheibub of the University of Illinois; and Prof. Leslie Armijo of the Portland State University of Oregon. Executive Producer: Rick Rockwell;  Producer: Jim Singer; and Associate Producer: Gabriela Canchola. (To download or stream this podcast, click here.)  (The program is 30 minutes in length and the file size is 42 MB.)   podcast news Latin America hyper-inflation Argentine Bonds Argentine Peso trade deficit vulture funds business politics elections Argentina

This week, Latin Pulse comes remotely from Costa Rica to deal with two issues of crisis: the media economic crisis in Costa Rica and beyond, and the problem of undocumented and unaccompanied minors on the U.S.-Mexico border.  The U.S. Border Patrol says the crisis concerning undocumented minors is past its peak, but this program explores the causal issues.  The news segment relates how Pope Francis has shifted the Vatican's policy concerning pedophilia in the clergy and has fired a bishop and ordered the house arrest of a former archbishop concerning cases in Paraguay and the Dominican Republic. The program includes in-depth interviews with: Eric Olson of the Wilson Center; and Prof. Ignacio Siles of the Universidad de Costa Rica. Executive Producer: Rick Rockwell;  Producer: Jim Singer; and Associate Producer: Gabriela Canchola. (To download or stream this podcast, click here.)  (The program is 30 minutes in length and the file size is 42 MB.)   podcast news Latin America Pope Francis child abuse violence crime migrant children unaccompanied minors gangs human trafficking human rights Honduras El Salvador Guatemala economic opportunity family reunification immigration reform Barack Obama Paraguay education mexico border newspapers Costa Rica media trends journalists la nota roja la nacion newspaper industry public affairs editors online news intelligentsia online news culture business politics elections democracy Argentina El Faro

This week, Latin Pulse celebrates its third anniversary with a look back at some of the most popular interviews of the past season.  This celebration has become a tradition for the program and includes a mix of out-takes and excerpts.  The program follows various themes:  politics and elections in Brazil; the dispute over ownership of the Falkland Islands (also referred to as the Malvinas); corruption in Paraguay; and the growth of religion in Cuba.  The news segment covers legal moves in Argentina to bring to justice those who covered up the stealing of babies during that country's Dirty War. The program includes interviews with: Cristina Pacheco of the State University of Paraiba; Paulo Sotero of the Woodrow Wilson Center; Mike Summers, MLA of the Falkland Islands; Andrew Nickson of the University of Birmingham (U.K.); and Dr. Reinerio Arce of the Protestant Ecumenical Seminary of Matanzas, Cuba. Executive Producer: Rick Rockwell;  Producer: Jim Singer; and Associate Producer: Gabriela Canchola. (To download or stream this podcast, click here.)  (The program is 30 minutes in length and the file size is 42 MB.)   podcast news Latin America Argentina elections politics Brazil economics human rights dictatorship Falkland Islands Dirty War Malvinas Dilma Rousseff Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva energy Marina Silva oil fishing rights Paraguay corruption Workers Party International Monetary Fund protest movement Cuba Fernando Lugo Victor Bogado Afro-cuban issues Christina Fernandez de Kirchner religion Santeria Christianity Marxism hydro-electric dam

This week, Latin Pulse focuses on elections in South America.  With elections coming in Bolivia and Uruguay next month, the program looks at the leading candidates and key issues in the races.  The segment on Bolivia also discusses the long-time popularity of President Evo Morales.  The program also discusses indigenous groups and politics in Bolivia. The segment on Uruguay analyzes the political return of former President Tabare Vazquez. The news segment deals with the murder in Peru of an environmental activist, with suspicions the murder is linked to illegal logging. The program includes in-depth interviews with: Sinclair Thomson of New York University; and Gabriela Santini of TeleDoce in Uruguay. Executive Producer: Rick Rockwell;  Producer: Jim Singer; and Associate Producer: Gabriela Canchola. Some audio in this program is provided by the Peruvian website Utero through a Creative Commons license, (To download or stream this podcast, click here.)  (The program is 30 minutes in length and the file size is 42 MB.)   podcast news Latin America Bolivia elections politics Uruguay economics Evo Morales environment Tabare Vazquez illegal logging Amazon indigenous issues Peru energy Hugo Chavez agriculture education healthcare poverty social services Samuel Doria Medina drug war transportation extractive industries Frente Amplio Pedro Bordaberry Luis Alberto Lacalle Pou Jose Pepe Mujica tobacco crime

This week, Latin Pulse returns in a new format after its summer hiatus.  The program focuses on Brazil.  One of the in-depth segments looks at the presidential election race and how it has heated up with a change of candidates.  The segment discusses the political issues involved and how the entrance of Socialist candidate Marina Silva has changed the election competition.  The program includes a segment about threats to free speech in Brazil, including discussion of why Brazil is on the Committee to Protect Journalist's list of dangerous countries.  The news segment deals with a new economic plan for Venezuela. The program includes in-depth interviews with: Matt Taylor of American University; and Carlos Lauria of the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). Executive Producer: Rick Rockwell;  Producer: Jim Singer; and Associate Producer: Gabriela Canchola. (To download or stream this podcast, click here.)  (The program is 30 minutes in length and the file size is 42 MB.)   podcast news Latin America Brazil elections politics Venezuela economics Eduardo Campos environment Nicolas Maduro Dilma Rousseff Marina Silva corruption protest movement Petrobras oil World Cup media Aecio Neves Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva justice education healthcare transportation drug war violence poverty favelas censorship internet

This week before heading out on an extended summer break, Latin Pulse provides a 90-minute summer special filled with emotion and information.  The in-depth segments include an update on the protest movement in Venezuela, an examination of Brazilian national identity and the World Cup, an update on immigration issues in Mexico, and an analysis of the Panama Canal as it celebrates 100 years of operation.  Also, included: a commentary on women and the World Cup.  The program also includes a special interview with the U.S. ambassador to Honduras.  The news segment deals with coca and the Drug War. The program includes in-depth interviews with: Ambassador Lisa Kubiske, U.S. Ambassador to Honduras; Sonja Wolf of Mexico's INSYDE; and Julie Greene of the University of Maryland. Additional interviews include: Hermann Escarrá of Universidad Central de Venezuela; Javier Ciurlizza of the International Crisis Group; Mark Weisbrot of the Center for Economic & Policy Research (CEPR); Carlos Lauria of the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ);  Rachel Glickhouse, writer;  Julia Michaels, writer; and Roberto DaMatta, University of Notre Dame;  Executive Producer: Rick Rockwell; Associate Producer: Megan Ekhaml; and Reporter: Elyssa Pachico. (To download or stream this podcast, click here.)  (The program is 90 minutes in length and the file size is 82 MB.)   podcast news Latin America Colombia elections politics Bolivia cocaine Peru Venezuela Ecuador protest movement United Nations United States media diplomacy Sweden Drug War UNASUR Nicolas Maduro imperialism corruption U.S. Congress oil Barack Obama Wikileaks Brazil World Cup Uruguay justice democracy human rights coffee rust Panama Canal Central America economics agriculture militarization Panama imperialism infrastructure FIFA Honduras Mexico violence poverty coup education DEA police Dinant Guatemala ALBA France USAID sports soccer crime Libre Party Miguel Facusse El Salvador Joe Biden 2016 Olympics free speech

This week, Latin Pulse looks closely at Ecuador, especially its policies on the environment and its diplomatic stance concerning the asylum of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange.  The program discusses the various stances of Ecuador's President Rafael Correa when it comes to international free speech movements and those in the media in his own country.  The program also explores Correa's shifting positions regarding oil development in the sensitive Yasuni National Park region of the Amazon.  The news segment this week covers the re-election victory of President Juan Manuel Santos of Colombia. The program includes in-depth interviews with: Rob Albro of American University's Center for Latin American & Latino Studies (CLALS); and Teodoro Bustamante of Ecuador's FLACSO. Executive Producer: Rick Rockwell; Associate Producer: Megan Ekhaml; and Writer: Elyssa Pachico. (To download or stream this podcast, click here.)  (The program is 30 minutes in length and the file size is 28 MB.)   podcast news Latin America Colombia elections politics FARC trade Juan Manuel Santos Oscar Ivan Zuluaga NSA espionage Ecuador peace talks civil war United States media Edward Snowdendiplomacy Sweden environment United Kingdom imperialism corruption Julian Assange Wikileaks Rafael Correa rainforest oil mining Germany energy Joe Biden Yasuni Park The Amazon extractive industries indigenous issues human rights

This week, Latin Pulse looks closely at Colombia:  it's politics, elections, and the long civil war.  The program gives a preview of this weekend's presidential runoff elections, discussing concerns that because there are several World Cup matches scheduled at the same time, voter turnout could be depressed.  The program also looks at an investigative report that spelled out in detail a strategy in the civil war aimed at decimating the leadership of the rebel groups who oppose the Colombian government.  The news segment this week covers the visit to the United States of Luis Guillermo Solis, the new president of Costa Rica. The program includes in-depth interviews with: Louis Goodman of American University; and Dana Priest of The Washington Post. Executive Producer: Rick Rockwell; and Associate Producer: Elyssa Pachico. (To download or stream this podcast, click here.)  (The program is 30 minutes in length and the file size is 28 MB.)   podcast news Latin America Colombia economics business trade elections ELN politics FARC Luis Guillermo Solis George W. Bush Juan Manuel Santos Oscar Ivan Zuluaga Democratic Center Party National Unity Coalition World Cup sports soccer Costa Rica CIA NSA espionage Alvaro Uribe populism Ecuador peace talks military democracy Cuba terrorism Mexico civil war United States smart bombs covert operations human rights media Edward Snowden

This week, Latin Pulse centers its focus on the up-coming World Cup competition in Brazil.  Starting with a poll that shows most Brazilians are upset with how the country has spent billions for the games, the program looks at various aspects of the preparations for a month of world-class soccer (football or fútbol).  The discussion includes the competition's economic impact , the issue of national identity, and a preview of the teams to watch in what is the world's most popular sporting event.  Finally, what will these games mean to the preparations for the Summer Olympics of 2016 in Brazil?   The program includes in-depth interviews with: Andrew Zimbalist of Smith College; and Joshua Nadel of North Carolina Central University. Executive Producer: Rick Rockwell; Reporter: Elyssa Pachico; and Associate Producer: Megan Ekhaml. (To download or stream this podcast, click here.)  (The program is 30 minutes in length and the file size is 28 MB.)   podcast news Latin America Colombia economics poverty developmentSpain Brazil politics infrastructure International Olympic Committee World Cup sports soccer Dilma Rousseff FIFA Pele Argentina 2016 Olympics Uruguay Ecuador protest movement Germany Olympics transportation media corruption health education

This week, Latin Pulse looks at the conflict between indigenous rights and the work of extractive industries in Guatemala and Peru.  The discussion goes in-depth on various projects in Guatemala, including the recent case of protestors in the La Puya region attempting to stop the development of a mine. The program also covers illegal logging and gold mining in the Amazon. The news segment covers the results of the first round of the Colombian presidential elections.  The program also includes a commentary about the effect of the anti-Cuban policies of the U.S. and the fallout for hemispheric diplomacy. The program includes in-depth interviews with: Kelsey Alford-Jones and Rob Mercatante of the Guatemala Human Rights Commission; and Andrew Miller of Amazon Watch. Executive Producer: Rick Rockwell; and Associate Producer: Elyssa Pachico. (To download or stream this podcast, click here.)  (The program is 30 minutes in length and the file size is 28 MB.)   podcast news Latin America Colombia Guatemala Peru politics Juan Manuel Santos Oscar Ivan Zuluaga United States Canada elections Drug War economics poverty FARC oil justice peace talks energy mining indigenous issues logging indigenous rights environmentalism extractive industries illegal logging genocide The Amazon agriculture illegal mining developmentracism human rights hydroelectric dams business electricity corruption deforestation rainforests Efrain Rios Montt chemical contamination health issues Spain erosion

This week, Latin Pulse originates at the Latin American Studies Association (LASA) Congress in Chicago, with a look at both elections and economics in the region.  The program looks forward to the presidential elections in Colombia this weekend and provides a preview of the race.  The program also includes a critique of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).  Would Mexico have been better off without it? The news segment of the program covers the first Mexican visit of John Kerry as secretary of state for the United States and discussion of his educational exchange initiative. The program includes in-depth interviews with: Joseph S. Tulchin of the Woodrow Wilson Center; and Mark Weisbrot of the Center for Economic & Policy Research (CEPR). Executive Producer: Rick Rockwell;  Associate Producer: Megan Ekhaml; and Writer: Elyssa Pachico (To download or stream this podcast, click here.)  (The program is 30 minutes in length and the file size is 28 MB.)   podcast news Latin America Colombia Mexico diplomacy crime education economics politics John Kerry elections Cuba Juan Manuel Santos Oscar Ivan Zuluaga Alvaro Uribe United States Canada NAFTA Enrique Penalosa Drug War drug cartels poverty FARC ELN oil peace talks land reform paramilitaries Plan Colombia justice OASunemployment Barack Obama Bill Clinton China agriculture corn farmers immigration Trans-Pacific Partnership Carlos Slim trade

This week,  Latin Pulse covers a variety of topics, including the crackdown on the protest movement in Venezuela and corruption tainting police in El Salvador.  The segment on Venezuela reviews the opinions of one of the leaders of the opposition protest movement who has also been influential with the country's student protestors too.  The Salvadoran segment traces the history of the national police and how criminal organizations infiltrated the police operations.  The news segment of the program covers the visit of Uruguay's President Jose "Pepe" Mujica to Washington, D.C. and his discussion of health issues and human rights. The program includes in-depth interviews with: Rodrigo Diamanti of El Mundo Sin Mordaza; and Hector Silva of American University's Center for Latin American & Latino Studies (CLALS). Executive Producer: Rick Rockwell; and Associate Producer: Megan Ekhaml. (To download or stream this podcast, click here.)  (The program is 30 minutes in length and the file size is 28 MB.)   podcast news Latin America Colombia Venezuela violence crime Uruguay prisons police El Salvador corruption media protest movement free speech SEBIN Drug War internet democracy diplomacy OAS Maria Corina Machado Barrio 18 Gang U.S. State Department cocaine Panama human rights health issues CIA United States Hugo Chavez Leopoldo Lopez gun smuggling drug cartels United Nations Central America organized crime espionage Honduras Sandinistas FSLN Nicaragua gangs MS-13 Guatemala gang truce national security United States poverty Iran-Contra Affair

The long history of violence in Colombia provides the central theme this week on Latin Pulse.  The program includes an in-depth report on the violence that has gripped Buenaventura and how Colombia's government is struggling to regain control of the city from two rival gang, the Rastrojos and the Urabeños.  With the 50th anniversary of Colombia's civil war, the program also looks back at the history of the conflict and the origins of the country's insurgent groups. The news segment of the program includes a reaction from the U.S. State Department to the ongoing violent protests in Venezuela. Warning: This program includes descriptions of graphic violence and may disturb some listeners. The program includes an in-depth interview with: Bruce Bagley of the University of Miami.  The program also includes interviews with: Max Schoening of Human Rights Watch (HRW);  Adam Isacson of the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA); and James Bargent, journalist. Executive Producer: Rick Rockwell; Reporter: Rachel Baye; and Associate Producer: Megan Ekhaml. (To download or stream this podcast, click here.)  (The program is 30 minutes in length and the file size is 28 MB.)   podcast news Latin America Colombia Venezuela violence crime politics FARC infrastructure civil war ELN protest movement guerrilla war corruption justice Drug War Buenaventura military femicide homicide Gustavo Rojas Pinilla cocaine tourism John Kerry trade United States human rights Rastrojos Gang Urabenos Gang land reform Communist Party Plan Lazo Cold War Fidel Castro poverty Marquetalia Russia Cuba insurgents gangs CIA espionage covert operations military aid diplomacy labor unions

Central America provides the central themes this week on Latin Pulse, with discussions about Panama and Guatemala.  The program looks forward toward this weekend's presidential elections in Panama with a tight three-way race among the major candidates.  In Guatemala, the concern is about the rule of law and the justice system after controversial Attorney General Claudia Paz y Paz lost her bid to be reappointed.  The news segment of the program discusses how Venezuela is trying to reduce violence in the street protests that continue to hurt the country.  The program also includes a commentary on Cuba and USAID. The program includes in-depth interviews with: Orlando Perez of Central Michigan University; and Kelsey Alford-Jones & Rob Mercatante of the Guatemala Human Rights Commission. Executive Producer: Rick Rockwell; Associate Producers: Megan Ekhaml & Elyssa Pachico. (To download or stream this podcast, click here.)  (The program is 30 minutes in length and the file size is 28 MB.)   podcast news Latin America Panama Venezuela Guatemala elections politics PRD infrastructure Central America economics protest movement Panamenista Party corruption justice Ricardo Martinelli oligarchy military media genocide Juan Carlos Navarro Jose Domingo Arias Juan Carlos Varela Democratic Change Party Marta Linares de Martinelli Claudia Paz y Paz Efrain Rios Montt Otto Perez Molina intimidation defamation Omar Torrijos impunity Manuel Noriega human rights Panama Canal