Summary: Violence and salvation are the themes this week on Latin Pulse. The alarming rise in homicide rates in El Salvador catches our attention and the program discusses the causes and how the government is reacting to the rise in gang-related violence. The reaction seems to be extrajudicial killings and the return of death squads. The program also includes an analysis about the shift of religious beliefs in Latin America, including the rise of evangelicals and religious pluralism. The news segment of the program covers the latest votes related to the Trans-Pacific Partnership and special trade authority for President Barack Obama. The program includes in-depth interviews with: Hector Silva of the Center for Latin American & Latino Studies (CLALS) at American University; and Andrew Chesnut of Virginia Commonwealth University. Executive Producer: Rick Rockwell; Producer: Jim Singer; and Production Assistant: Sierra Hancock. (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 trade politics religion homicide violence Puerto Rico gangs Mexico United States El Salvador Barrio 18 Peru Chile MS-13 Trans-Pacific Partnership Catholicism Canada TPP Barack Obama John Boehner U.S. Congress death squads extrajudicial killings police military ARENA Mauricio Funes poverty education John Kerry Salvador Sanchez Ceren FMLN business Juan Orlando Hernandez Afro-Latin American issues Guatemala Honduras Brazil impunity coup evangelicals agnostics Uruguay Cuba atheists Santeria Candomble Umbanda Nicaragua Paraguay justice media crime United Nations Santa Muerte folk saints Central America
