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The AQ Podcast is a conversation on politics and economics in Latin America hosted by Brian Winter, contributing editor for Americas Quarterly
185 Episodes
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Right-wing candidates are gaining victories across Latin America. Chile will likely turn right in the upcoming second round of elections, Javier Milei made legislative gains in Argentina and in Bolivia recent elections ended 20 years of Movimiento al Socialismo (MAS) party leadership. With key races ahead in 2026, some analysts say the right could become the region’s dominant political force, echoing the sweeping “pink tide” of the early 2000s, but in the opposite ideological direction. Is th...
Chileans head to the polls this Sunday, November 16. In the last election cycle, Gabriel Boric won following the massive 2019 protests that shook the nation to its core. At the time, it seemed Chile was set for sweeping structural change: the classic poster child for neoliberal economic policy in Latin America appeared ready to build a stronger welfare state and elect leaders from the left. Six years later, some change has occurred, but not nearly as dramatic as many expected. Efforts to rewr...
The recent deployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford, the U.S. Navy’s largest aircraft carrier, has intensified speculation about Washington’s true objectives in the Southern Caribbean. In this episode of the Americas Quarterly Podcast, we examine what’s really behind the Trump administration’s escalating military activity. Is it a hardline campaign against drug cartels, or the opening moves of a broader effort to pressure Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro? What do we know about dynamics within the...
Mexico’s Claudia Sheinbaum has hit the one-year mark of her presidency. In that time she has had to balance three key relationships: with President Donald Trump, with her still-powerful predecessor Andrés Manuel López Obrador and with the Mexican public. She faced skepticism, but has surprised many. Sheinbaum’s approval rating is at 73%, and a plurality of Mexicans said in a recent poll that her government is off to a better start than AMLO’s. Challenges loom, from fragile security gains and ...
Argentina’s President Javier Milei just got a much-needed boost from his ally, U.S. President Donald Trump. The White House has signaled plans for a $20 billion swap line to contribute to Argentina’s fragile reserves—a lifeline coming just as Milei faces market turmoil, political setbacks and a corruption scandal close to home. With midterm elections set for the end of the month, the big question is whether this support can keep Milei’s project on track—or whether he’s already peaked. Our gue...
Latin America is entering a packed election season, with Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, Colombia, Peru and Brazil all set to elect presidents in the next 13 months. This is happening just as organized crime reaches unprecedented power. In several of these countries, crime is showing up in polls as the number one political issue. Security expert Lucía Dammert explains how booming cocaine production, money laundering and criminal infiltration of formal economies are reshaping politics across the r...
A landmark trial is underway in Brazil: former President Jair Bolsonaro, an ally of U.S. President Donald Trump, stands accused of trying to overturn the 2022 election. Alongside military officials and ex-ministers, Bolsonaro faces charges that could reshape Brazil’s political future — and reverberate globally. The U.S. has recently launched a campaign against Brazil’s judiciary in a show of support for Bolsonaro. Journalist Patricia Campos Mello joins us to unpack the case, the international...
Bolivia's long-dominant MAS party has suffered a historic defeat, with its presidential candidate winning just 3% of the vote. The result reflects deep frustration over the country’s economic crisis and political infighting. In a surprise outcome, Senator Rodrigo Paz Pereira led the first round, followed by former President Jorge “Tuto” Quiroga. The two will be in a runoff on October 19. In this episode, we speak with Bolivian journalist Raúl Peñaranda about what sets these candidates apart, ...
In this special mid-year episode, we take a step back for a look at where the region’s economies stand, and the picture is better than many expected. We evaluate the impact of Trump’s new tariffs, the short- and medium-term prospects for Mexico's economy, as well as positive indicators like falling inflation in Argentina and resilient growth in Brazil. Our guest is Ernesto Revilla, Chief Economist for Latin America at Citigroup, who returns to share insights on what to watch in the months ahe...
A major confrontation is brewing between the United States and Brazil, driven by the return of Donald Trump to the White House and the deepening legal troubles of his close Brazilian ally, former president Jair Bolsonaro. As Brazil’s judiciary pursues charges against the former president for attempting to overturn the 2022 election, Trump has retaliated with threats of steep tariffs and revoked visas for Brazilian Supreme Court justices. Meanwhile, the U.S. has launched an investigation into ...
As Gustavo Petro spars with Donald Trump, violence is surging in Colombia ahead of next year’s elections. The attempted assassination of conservative presidential candidate Miguel Uribe in June set off alarm bells all over Latin America. Since then, there have been other causes for concern, including a series of car bombs in Cali and news of a plot against another right-wing candidate. In this episode, political analyst Sergio Guzmán, director of Colombia Risk Analysis, joins us to explore wh...
As Brazil prepares to host the 2025 BRICS Summit, questions are swirling about the future of the group, as well as China’s growing presence in Latin America. In this episode, we explore the shifting dynamics of global influence with Oliver Stuenkel, professor of international relations at Fundação Getúlio Vargas, in São Paulo, and a visiting scholar at the Harvard Kennedy School and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. We discuss Brazil’s evolving role within BRICS, Lula’s foreign ...
The recent arrests of two prominent critics of El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele have sparked renewed concerns about the country's democratic backsliding. In this episode we discuss the detentions of attorney Ruth López and constitutional lawyer Enrique Anaya, both vocal opponents of Bukele, and what these developments might signal about the president’s tightening grip on power. We also talk about challenges on the economic front and a slight dip in Bukele's sky-high approval ratings...
On May 20, two top aides to Mexico City Mayor Clara Brugada were shot dead in a rare daytime attack, raising questions about security under Mexico’s new president, Claudia Sheinbaum. Known for her tougher stance on organized crime, Sheinbaum has overseen a drop in homicides and taken bold steps like extraditing cartel leaders. In this episode we speak with security expert Eduardo Guerrero to unpack the recent violence, what has defined the Sheinbaum era of security policy and what we can expe...
President Javier Milei has made global headlines with his radical economic reforms and bold rhetoric, earning praise from figures like Donald Trump and Silicon Valley elites. At home, his record is mixed: inflation has dropped dramatically and a major IMF deal has been secured, but poverty remains high and economic imbalances persist. With his approval rating holding steady below 50%, Argentina stands at a crossroads. Will Milei deliver transformational change, or will discontent shift moment...
Just over a year after Bernardo Arévalo’s tense but ultimately successful inauguration as president of Guatemala, his administration faces a complex mix of progress and mounting challenges. Elected on an anti-corruption platform, Arévalo has delivered key reforms and economic growth—but his popularity is waning, and governability remains uncertain amid fierce opposition. In this episode, part of AQ’s special report on Guatemala, we dive into the country’s political, social, and economic lands...
Cuba is facing its worst crisis in decades, with blackouts and a mass exodus that has seen 20% of the population flee in five years. In this episode, we shed light on everyday life amid ongoing economic hardship, explore the durability of the Cuban regime and assess whether its grip on power is at risk. The conversation expands to Cuba’s evolving relationships with key international allies, including Russia, China, and Venezuela. Finally, we turn to U.S. foreign policy, focusing on the implic...
With Brazil about a year and a half away from the 2026 elections, political dynamics are shifting once again. The economy is growing at 3%, and employment remains high, yet President Lula’s approval rating has dropped to 41%—the lowest of any of his three terms. Meanwhile, the right may be gaining momentum, fueled by the Supreme Court’s decision to put former President Jair Bolsonaro on trial for his alleged 2022 coup attempt. Bolsonaro has appealed to conservative global figures, comparing h...
Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum is enjoying remarkable popularity, garnering over 80% approval, while Mexico navigates shifting demands from U.S. President Donald Trump, economic uncertainty and security concerns. In this episode we delve into how she differs from her predecessor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, her evolving approach to the Trump administration, how she is handling Mexico's security challenges and whether her popularity can endure. Our guest is Viri Ríos, a writer, politica...
Organized crime is a persistent and evolving challenge in Latin America. At the moment crime syndicates are seeing unprecedented financial gains, fueled not only by a surge in cocaine production—more than doubling in the past decade, according to the UN—but also by profits from illegal gold mining and human trafficking. As security concerns rise, these issues are set to play a crucial role in elections in Ecuador, Honduras, Chile, and Colombia. Meanwhile, the U.S. government, under President ...
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