Latin Pulse

Heated elections in Venezuela draw a special focus this week on Latin Pulse. With voters headed to the polls on Sunday, Oct. 7 the program features two in-depth interview that take a look at both politics and media policy in Venezuela.  The program includes coverage of the latest polls and how credible they might be in a country where polling agencies are as polarized as the political landscape.  The news segment of the program covers the announcement this week that Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos has cancer.  The program also features a commentary on Mexico's soon-to-be-installed government. In-depth interviews include: Carlos Lauria, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ); and Alex Main, the Center for Economic and Policy Research. Executive Producer: Rick Rockwell Associate Producer: Curt Devine Writer: Colin Campbell. (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 Venezuela peace talks Colombia health issues Henrique Capriles Radonski Hugo Chavez cancer democracy elections media free speech Barack Obama Juan Manuel Santos politics United StatesGlobovision RCTV coups

This week marks a year online for Latin Pulse, and so the program is celebrating by featuring a review of some of the biggest stories of the year and includes some important interviewers that listeners may have missed the first time they went online.  The topics covered this week include the Drug War, immigration, the pope's trip to Latin America, Cuba's economic reforms and politics in Central America.  Unlike the rest of the program, the news segment is new this week, with coverage of the new abortion law in Uruguay. Interviews include: Luis Botello, International Center for Journalists (ICFJ); Sonja Wolf, INSYDE; Vicki Gass, Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA);  Manuel Orozco, Inter-American Dialogue; Jimena Aguilar of El Faro; Eric Hershberg, Center for Latin American & Latino Studies (CLALS) of American University;  Daniel Calingaert, Freedom House; and Tom Quigley, formerly of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Executive Producer: Rick Rockwell Associate Producer: Curt Devine Writers: Jordan D'eri and Colin Campbell. (Note: This podcast includes graphic descriptions of violence that may disturb some listeners.) (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 Mexico Central America Uruguay Drug War Pope Benedict XVI drug cartels human rights Daniel Ortega abortion Mauricio Funes immigration Honduras Nicaragua violence politics impunity corruption El Salvador Raul Castro Jaime Ortega economics Cuba media

With the National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. this weekend, Latin Pulse devotes this special program to the literature of Latin America. The program features an interview with an award-winning Mexican author and goes in-depth on the literary themes contrasting newer writers with the older generation of Latin American writers.  The program also features a commentary on the trade bloc known as Mercosur. The news segment of the program covers the latest regarding the undercover arms smuggling sting gone wrong, known as "Fast and Furious," which the U.S. Congress held hearings about this week. In-Depth Interviews: Alberto Ruy Sanchez, Mexican author and Nuria Vilanova of American University. Executive Producer: Rick Rockwell Writers: Colin Campbell, Jordan D'eri and Curt Devine. (Note: This podcast explores adult themes in its discussion of literature.) (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 Mexico arms smuggling literature Drug War United States Congress drug cartels magical realism Roberto Bolano Morocco United States Spain eroticism Peru Chile Mogador Mercosur Brazil Alberto Ruy Sanchez Gabriel Garcia Marquez Mario Vargas Llosa

Latin Pulse focuses on the weakness of some democracies in Latin America this week with a special program devoted to how constitutions are being bent to the will of some powerful forces.  The program discusses what are called "express coups" and the details of controversial governmental change in Paraguay and Honduras.  The program also looks at the judicial crisis in El Salvador which some characterized as a constitutional crisis.  The news segment of the program covers the Caravan for Peace that wound its way from Tijuana to Washington, D.C., lobbying for policy changes in the Drug War. In-Depth Interviews: Fulton Armstrong of the Center for Latin American and Latino Studies (CLALS) at American University, and Geoff Thale of the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA). Executive Producer: Rick Rockwell Writers: Jordan D'eri and Colin Campbell (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 express coups coups Drug War Caravan for Peace peace movement judicial crisis constitutional crisis Mexico arms smuggling democracy judiciary El Salvador constitution Fernando Lugo Mauricio Funes Honduras Paraguay United States Hugo Chavez Manuel Zelaya Alvaro Uribe Organization of American States OAS Venezuela FMLN ARENA politics Barack Obama

This week, Latin Pulse weighs in on the complex issues surrounding the asylum case of Wikileaks' founder Julian Assange who is being shielded from extradition by Ecuador.  The program also concludes its focus on the problems of indigenous groups in Colombia suffering during the country's long civil war.  The news segment of the program also looks at more details of the recently announced peace process that many hope will end Colombia's war.  The program also includes a commentary about the peace process. In-Depth Interviews: Carlos Lauria of the Committee to Protect Journalists, and Gimena Sanchez of the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA). Executive Producer: Rick Rockwell Associate Producer: Jenna Longoria Writers: Jordan D'eri and Colin Campbell (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 indigenous issues Juan Manuel Santos Drug War civil war Alvaro Uribepeace talks Rodrigo Londono Echeverry Nasa civil war Ecuador Wikileaks Julian Assange asylum United Kingdom free speech media journalism Rafael Correa United States FARC

This week Latin Pulse focuses on indigenous issues in Latin America.  The program discusses the controversial Belo Monte Dam under construction in Brazil and the legal cases that have failed to halt the project.  The dam will have direct effects on indigenous groups and urban residents who will be displaced by flooding caused by the dam.  The program also looks at the controversial practice of herbicidal spraying as a method in the Drug War and how that has caused health problems and posed other challenges for indigenous groups such as the Embera-Katio, Embera-Chami, and Awa people of Colombia. The news segment, this week, covers the oil refinery fire in Venezuela, which killed dozens of people. In-Depth Interviews: Dr. Eve Bratman of American University, and Gimena Sanchez of the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA). Executive Producer: Rick Rockwell Associate Producer: Jenna Longoria (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 Venezuela Hugo Chavez oil disaster indigenous issues environment minority issues Dilma Rousseff Colombia Afro-Colombians Juan Manuel Santos Belo Monte Dam the Amazon Ignacio Lula da Silva Awa Embera-Chami Embera-Katio energy Rio+20 Drug War herbicidal spraying civil war violence Brazil Alvaro Uribe

Latin Pulse returns from another brief summer hiatus this week with a special focus on Argentina.  The program includes in-depth interviews about the Argentine economy, the Falkland Islands/Malvinas dispute, the country's diplomacy, and Argentina's controversial media reform law. The news segment, this week, covers the latest on the dispute between Ecuador and the United Kingdom over asylum for the founder of Wikileaks, Julian Assange. In-Depth Interviews: Peter Hakim of the Inter-American Dialogue, and Victoria Villegas of Argentina's AFSCA. Executive Producer: Rick Rockwell Associate Producer: Lydia Beyoud (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 Argentina United Kingdom Wikileaks Ecuador Rafael Correa Falkland Islands free speech media reform diplomacy economics media concentration business finance Malvinas media economics finance Grupo Clarin Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner

Latin Pulse returns this week from a brief summer hiatus with an interview conducted in Mexico City about the dangers of immigration and a deep discussion of how problems with immigration link to both the Drug War and Mexico's long-time problem with human rights.  The program also includes discussion of Brazil's economic success despite the global financial crisis. The news segment, this week, covers the latest from student protests in Chile that have disrupted the capital, Santiago. In-Depth Interviews: Sonja Wolf of the Instituto para la Seguridad y la Democracia (INSYDE), and Maria Antonietta del Tedesco Lins of the Universidade de São Paulo. Executive Producer: Rick Rockwell Associate Producer: Lydia Beyoud (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 Mexico United States immigration migration undocumented immigration Central America drug war infant mortality corruption Chile student protests education PRI Brazil violence economics taxes finance economic crisis global economic crisisdrug cartels

This week, the focus is on gender issues and AIDS on this episode of Latin Pulse. With the 19th International AIDS Conference concluding, the program includes an interview with an AIDS activist in Honduras.  The program also includes the second part of an interview with one of the leading newspaper editors in Guatemala on issues confronting women  The commentary section deals with Brazil's economic challenges. The news segment of the program includes coverage of Raul Castro's speech calling for diplomatic talks with the United States. In-Depth Interviews: Ana Carolina Alpirez of elPeriodico, and Sandra Zambrano of APUVIMEH. Executive Producer: Rick Rockwell Associate Producer: Lydia Beyoud (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 Cuba United States diplomacy Raul Castro Gauatemala religion women's rights Honduras AIDS HIV LGBT isssues Brazil health issues infant mortality sex education

Latin Pulse provides a special focus this week on women's rights and issues in Latin America.  The program includes a frank discussion on such topics of rape and abortion in Latin America.  The news segment of the program includes discussion of the problem of money laundering in the Drug War in Mexico. In-Depth Interviews: Prof. Macarena Saez of the Washington College of Law at American University, and Ana Carolina Alpirez of elPeriodico. Executive Producer: Rick Rockwell Associate Producer: Lydia Beyoud (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 Mexico Drug War money laundering drug cartels violence rape abortion women's rights maternity leave immigration Guatemala Chile

This week, Latin Pulse looks at the new book Cuban Economic and Social Development and what it predicts regarding policy and politics in Cuba.  The program also deals with the fallout from the presidential change in Paraguay.  Latin Pulse introduces a new opinion feature this week that also takes a position on Paraguay.  The news segment of the program covers calls by Mexico's president-elect Enrique Pena Nieto for protestors to accept the outcome of the recent elections. In-Depth Interviews: Dr. Jorge Dominguez of Harvard University, and Dr. Adrienne Pine of American University. Executive Producer: Rick Rockwell Associate Producer: Lydia Beyoud (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 Mexico politics elections Enrique Pena Nieto Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador PRI PRD coup corruption race Venezuela communisim Cuba China economics Brazil Paraguay Honduras Mercosur Afro-Cubans United States Raul Castro Fernando Lugo Manuel Zelaya Porfirio Lobo

Latin Pulse may be back in Washington, D.C. this week, but the focus is with the aftermath of the Mexican presidential elections and with the re-election campaign of President Hugo Chavez in Venezuela.  Although Enrique Pena Nieto of Mexico's Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) apparently won the election, new questions have arisen about corruption and voting irregularities.  Meanwhile, how will relations between the media and Chavez affect the voting in Venezuela.  Much more on presidential politics this week. In-Depth Interviews: José "Pepé" Carreño of Mexico's Excelsior, and Vanessa Haces Gonzatti of Venezuela's Tal Cual. Executive Producer: Rick Rockwell Associate Producer: Lydia Beyoud (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 Mexico politics elections Enrique Pena Nieto Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador PRI PRD Drug War energy oil corruption Hugo Chavez Venezuela Globovision media Henrique Capriles Radonski crime

Latin Pulse comes remotely from Mexico this week, with presidential politics taking center stage.  Mexico will select a new president this weekend with the PRI's Enrique Pena Nieto leading the polls.  And this week, the decision by Paraguay's parliament to impeach and then remove President Fernando Lugo has caused diplomatic waves throughout Latin America.  The entire program is focused on these important presidential changes. In-Depth Interviews: José "Pepé" Carreño of Excelsior, and Eric Hershberg of the Center for Latin American and Latino Studies at American University. Executive Producer: Rick Rockwell Associate Producer: Lydia Beyoud (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 Mexico politics Brazil Fernando Lugo Federico Franco elections impeachment coup Paraguay Mercosur United States Enrique Pena Nieto Josefina Vasquez Mota #Yo Soy 132 Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador OAS Honduras PRI PRD PAN diplomacy

Latin Pulse comes remotely from Guatemala this week, but the focus is elsewhere:  in Brazil and in Washington, D.C.  In Brazil, the largest U.N. conference ever, Rio+20 is concluding with some disappointed it did not take more aggressive action on the global environment and sustainability.  The program includes an in-depth interview reacting to events at the conference and includes a look forward at the expected decision from the U.S. Supreme Court on Arizona's controversial immigration law.  The news segment of the program covers the results of the G-20 Summit in Mexico. In-Depth Interviews: Craig Hanson of the World Resources Institute (WRI), and Jayesh Rathod of the Washington College of Law at American University. Executive Producer: Rick Rockwell Associate Producer: Vanessa Haces Gonzatti Writer:  Lydia Beyoud (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 Mexico economics economic crisis G20 Summit summit Felipe Calderon Brazil Rio+20 environment United Nations transportation immigration Arizona United States U.S. Supreme Court Arizona v. U.S. states rights

Latin Pulse comes remotely from Honduras this week, with a special focus on Lesbian, Gay, Bi-Sexual, and Transgender (LGBT) issues.  The program discusses a recent study that focuses on 75 murders of members of the LGBT community in the past four years.  The discussion includes the murder cases of Erick Martinez and Walter Trochez. The program also discusses the wide disparities in LGBT rights throughout Latin America. The news segment of the program includes information about the upcoming G-20 Summit in Mexico. In-Depth Interviews: Sandra Zambrano of APUVIMEH, and Mirka Negroni of San Francisco State University. Executive Producer: Rick Rockwell Associate Producer: Vanessa Haces Gonzatti Writer:  Lydia Beyoud (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 Mexico economics Honduras Argentina violence repression human rights insecurity Cuba economic crisis G20 Summit summitFelipe Calderon Costa Rica gay marriage Mariela Castro Raul Castro Walter Trochez Erick Martinez LGBT issues gay rights