Altamar Podcast - Navigating the High Seas of Global Politics

Political turmoil is not unique to the US, it appears. Across the Atlantic, Europe is in flux. By and large, the center is eroding, fringe parties are strengthening, and Macron's ambitions to make the EU sexy again seem to fall on deaf ears. Peter and Muni talk to Mark Leonard, director of the European Council on Foreign Relations, to see whether this is a momentary hiccup or an inflection point for the continent.

As we cap off a crazy 2017, Latin America is gearing up for an even crazier 2018. Of the five (potentially six) presidential elections to be held in the region next year, those in Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico promise to be particularly contentious. Peter and Muni take a closer look at these three Latin American powerhouses and the key issues and candidates to watch in their upcoming races. They're joined by Venezuelan author and political scientist Moisés Naím to discuss broader trends in the region – some of them encouraging, others extremely worrying.

What happened in last month's ambush that killed four Green Berets in Niger? And why are we in the region in the first place? Peter and Muni discuss events on the ground and US strategy (and its shortcomings) with ABC News senior foreign correspondent Ian Pannell and Washington Post Global Opinions editor Karen Attiah.

Noting that the US doesn't have enough on its plate, Trump has decided to decertify the Iran nuclear deal, though it's up to Congress to decide what that means. With no shortage of bad behavior from Tehran in its own neighborhood, sabotaging the deal risks giving this "new Cold War" a nuclear component. Peter and Muni look at possible scenarios and outcomes with Jake Sullivan, former Deputy Assistant to President Obama and one of the architects of the Iran deal.

China has been steadily increasing its global footprint, and since January, the US has been rapidly scaling back its own. With that in mind, China's 19th Communist Party Congress had one overarching theme: China isn't emerging - it has emerged, and it's ready to be a leader. But what does that mean for the rest of us? Peter and Muni are joined by Bill Bishop, a China expert and founder of the Sinocism newsletter, to discuss Xi Jinping's consolidation of power, and what we can expect from him and his China in the face of US retreat from the multilateral world order.

Peter and Muni are joined by professor and expert on Catalan secessionism Andrew Dowling to discuss causes, reactions, and prognoses for Catalonia's independence drive. They look at similar movements around the world and external factors (and actors) abetting this new rise of separatist sentiment.

North Korea's rapid nuclear advances and a war of words between Trump and Kim Jong Un have added terrifying new dimensions to an old conflict. Arms control expert Jeffrey Lewis of Foreign Policy, and The New Yorker's Evan Osnos, one of the last American journalists to visit Pyongyang, join in to discuss the danger and possible off-ramps to the crisis.

With more and more populist and authoritarian leaders popping up throughout the world, Peter and Muni look at underlying causes and give their prognoses for the liberal international order. Professor Soli Ozel joins in to look at long-term trends.

A favorite punching bag of Trump's during the campaign, Mexico is at its wit's end. Peter and Muni look at all that we have to lose from making this loyal friend a foe. They're joined by Sen. Gabriela Cuevas, head of the Mexican Senate's Foreign Relations Committee, to weigh in on the danger.

Everyone is obsessing over President Donald Trump’s possible collusion with Russia during the 2016 election. Strategically speaking, how's that working out for Vladimir Putin? Our guest on this week’s episode, Prof. Mark Galeotti of Prague’s Centre for European Security, argues that Putin is actually not faring that well after all.

Editor-in-chief of The Daily Beast Jon Avlon and Université d'Orléans historian and author Jean Garrigues discuss the political phenom Emmanuel Macron, and debate whether he truly has an answer to the wave of populism currently dominating many democracies.

James Williams of Engage Cuba speaks with Peter and Muni about President Donald Trump's recent reversal of the Cuba opening, and what it means for future relations with Havana.

Altamar, a Spanish term for "high seas," is a new foreign affairs podcast hosted by Peter Schechter and Muni Jensen to navigate our tumultuous global politics with expert insights, special guests, and an honest conversation about why foreign policy should matter to each and every one of us.