The Americas Quarterly Podcast

The early days of the pandemic saw Argentines rally around their new president, Alberto Fernández. But “those days are over,” says pollster Alejandro Catterberg, who points to a resurgence in polarization as COVID cases spread and the economy sinks deeper into recession. That’s bad news for the half of the country that wants to move past the divisive politics of former Presidents Mauricio Macri and Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, said Catterberg, who spoke to AQ’s Brian Winter from Buenos Aires. Guests: - Alejandro Catterberg is founder and director of Poliarquía Consultores, an Argentine polling firm. - Brian Winter is the editor-in-chief of Americas Quarterly. Background Reading: "After the Default: Argentina’s Unsustainable '20/80' Economy" by Eduardo Levy Yeyati(https://www.americasquarterly.org/article/after-the-default-argentinas-unsustainable-20-80-economy/)

Amid a pandemic and ongoing food shortages, politics isn't exactly the top priority for many Venezuelans. But fresh divisions within the country's opposition are likely to have significant repercussions on how the coalition engages with the Nicolas Maduro regime. On this week's podcast, AQ's Brian Winter spoke to the Washington Post's Ana Vanessa Herrero about the opposition's changing dynamics and diverging plans. Guests: - Ana Vanessa Herrero is a correspondent for the Washington Post based in Caracas, Venezuela. - Brian Winter is the editor-in-chief of Americas Quarterly.

The corruption case against former Pemex CEO Emilio Lozoya has turned Mexican business and politics upside down. But how much will the case ultimately change - and for whom? Transparencia Mexicana's Eduardo Bohórquez joined AQ's Brian Winter to plot out where Latin America's latest big corruption scandal may lead. Guests: - Eduardo Bohórquez is the executive director of Transparencia Mexicana. - Brian Winter is the editor-in-chief of Americas Quarterly.

The situation in Brazil "feels pretty bad right now," says Arminio Fraga, a policy expert and former central bank chief. But on the podcast this week, Fraga sees reason for a nuanced discussion. He spoke to AQ's Brian Winter about the government's big pandemic spending, how to strengthen Brazil's health care system, and why he considers himself a "progressive liberal type." Guests: - Arminio Fraga is the chair of the Institute for Health Policy Studies (IEPS)and a former president of Brazil’s central bank. - Brian Winter is the editor-in-chief of Americas Quarterly. Background reading: "Despite Troubles, Brazil’s SUS Health System Can Be a Model for Latin America," by Arminio Fraga, Miguel Lago and Rudi Rocha (https://www.americasquarterly.org/article/5-big-ideas-universal-health/)

"The countries of the hemisphere are at an inflection point," writes Juan S. Gonzalez, a former special advisor to Vice President Joe Biden, in a new op-ed for AQ. Gonzalez spoke to AQ's Brian Winter about how a Biden administration might lead the region in confronting challenges like COVID-19, climate change and democratic instability, with insight into how Biden might engage Nicolás Maduro and why the presidential contender sees Colombia as the "keystone to the region." Guests: - Juan S. Gonzalez is a principal at JSG Strategy and a former special advisor to Vice President Joe Biden. - Brian Winter is the editor-in-chief of Americas Quarterly. Background Reading: "Joe Biden and the Future of the Americas," by Juan S. Gonzalez (https://www.americasquarterly.org/article/joe-biden-and-the-future-of-the-americas/) "Miller Versus Biden: Competing U.S. Doctrines for Latin America," by Russell Crandall (https://www.americasquarterly.org/article/miller-versus-biden-competing-u-s-doctrines-for-latin-america/) "The Incredible Unknown Bond between Joe Biden and Brazil’s Dilma Rousseff," by Brian Winter (https://www.americasquarterly.org/article/the-incredible-unknown-bond-between-joe-biden-and-brazils-dilma-rousseff/)

Today, the density and informality that often define Latin American cities have made them particularly vulnerable to the coronavirus. But that doesn't mean their future is a bleak one, says Eugene Zapata Garesché of the Global Resilient Cities Network. The urban development expert spoke to AQ's Brian Winter about the ways cities are changing, and how good local leadership has never been so important. Guests: - Eugene Zapata Garesché is the managing director for Latin America and the Caribbean at the Global Resilient Cities Network - Brian Winter is the editor-in-chief of Americas Quarterly Background reading: "Could the Pandemic Start a Biking Revolution in Latin America?" by Leonie Rauls (https://www.americasquarterly.org/article/could-the-pandemic-start-a-biking-revolution-in-latin-america/)

Colombia has seen relative success controlling the outbreak of COVID-19, providing a needed boost in citizens’ confidence in President Iván Duque. But that could be changing. This week, AQ‘s Editor-in-chief Brian Winter speaks with political analyst Laura Gil about his initial response, recent slip-ups, and why Colombia’s fragile peace process is “on life support.” Guests: - Laura Gil leads the consultancy Diálogos y Estrategias, and is director of the political analysis site La Línea del Medio. - Brian Winter is the editor-in-chief of Americas Quarterly. Background reading: "Colombia Needs to Think Bigger to Escape Crisis," by Luis Fernando Mejía(https://www.americasquarterly.org/article/colombias-way-out-of-the-crisis/) "What Colombia’s Record Says About COVID-19 Testing," by Luis Guillermo Plata (https://americasquarterly.org/article/what-colombias-covid-strategy-says-about-testing/) "Trump, Venezuela and the ELN: The Geopolitics of Peace in Colombia," by BY Karen Arteaga Garzón, Gwen Burnyeat, Andrei Gómez-Suárez and Germán Otálora Gallego (https://americasquarterly.org/article/trump-venezuela-and-the-eln-the-geopolitics-of-peace-in-colombia/)

Jeanine Áñez ascended to Bolivia's presidency on a promise to hold elections that could move the country out of a bitter political crisis. Seven months later, uncertainty lingers over when voters will choose a new government. To get some clarity on the state of things, AQ's Editor-in-chief Brian Winter speaks with award-winning journalist Raúl Peñaranda. Guests: - Raúl Peñaranda is the director of the Bolivian news portal Brújula Digital, recipient of the coveted Maria Moors Cabot prize and a Nieman fellowship at Harvard University. - Brian Winter is the editor-in-chief of Americas Quarterly. Background reading: "Four Urgent Questions on Bolivia’s Election," by Brendan O'Boyle (https://www.americasquarterly.org/article/four-urgent-questions-on-bolivias-election/) "The Cost of Delayed Votes in Chile, Bolivia and Beyond," by Leonie Rauls and Emilie Sweigart (https://www.americasquarterly.org/article/the-cost-of-delayed-votes-in-chile-bolivia-and-beyond/)

Scenes of rioting and police brutality in the U.S. are a reminder of the deepening crisis across the Americas. Pressures on civil liberties are already high across the region, with fears that leaders may be using the pandemic as a pretext for harsh policies. To discuss the state of human rights in the Americas at this tense time, AQ's Editor-in-chief Brian Winter speaks to Human Rights Watch's José Miguel Vivanco. Guests: José Miguel Vivanco is the Americas director at Human Rights Watch. Brian Winter is the editor-in-chief of Americas Quarterly.

For the third time in just two decades, Argentina finds itself on the brink of defaulting on its foreign debt. As the government rushes to reach a deal with creditors, AQ's Editor-in-chief Brian Winter speaks to the Woodrow Wilson Center's Benjamin Gedan about the implications of a default on Argentina's fragile economy and rocky political landscape. Guests: - Benjamin Gedan is the deputy director the Wilson Center's Latin American Program and the director of its Argentina Project. - Brian Winter is the editor-in-chief of Americas Quarterly.   Background Reading: "Argentina Can Stop Its March Toward Default," by Arturo Porzecanski (https://www.americasquarterly.org/article/argentina-can-stop-its-march-toward-default/)

As it tears through Latin America, the coronavirus has highlighted both the impact of smart governance, as well as the toll of the region’s inequality. On the Americas Quarterly Podcast, Editor-in-chief Brian Winter speaks to doctors on the frontlines of the crisis about what they’re seeing, what they’ve learned about prevention, and how they envision a more equitable healthcare system. Guests: Dr. Enrique Boloña is the director of the intensive care unit at Clínica Guayaquil. Dr. David Acuña is an emergency room doctor at Hospital Clínico de la Universidad Católica and at Hospital Sótero del Río in Santiago, Chile. Dr. Sidney Klajner is a surgeon and president of Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein in São Paulo, Brazil. Brian Winter is the editor-in-chief of Americas Quarterly.

The resignation of Brazil's popular Justice Minister Sérgio Moro shook Brazilian politics on April 24, but its ripples are still being felt. Political analyst Thomas Traumann joins AQ's Brian Winter to discuss the behind-the-scenes maneuvering that may have led to Moro's demise. They'll also assess the likelihood of impeachment and the future of Finance Minister Paulo Guedes, whose motivations for staying on the job seem less clear than they did a month ago. Guests: - Thomas Traumann is a Rio de Janeiro-based political analyst and author of O Pior Emprego do Mundo (“The Worst Job in the World”), a book about Brazilian finance ministers. - Brian Winter is the editor-in-chief of Americas Quarterly. Background reading: "The Key to Bolsonaro’s Survival," by Brian Winter (https://www.americasquarterly.org/content/key-bolsonaro%27s-survival)

Colombia and Peru have taken in more Venezuelan migrants than any other country. But as the coronavirus spreads, the story of their warm welcome threatens to become one of xenophobia and exclusion. What are governments doing to prevent that? How is the pandemic changing life on the ground for migrants in Colombia and Peru? AQ's Editor-in-chief Brian Winter discussed the challenging situation with Feline Freier, a migration expert in Lima, and Lala Lovera, a migrant advocate in Bogotá. Guests: Lala Lovera is the founder of the Fundación Comparte por una Vida Colombia Luisa Feline Freier is a migration expert and an assistant professor at the Universidad del Pacífico in Lima Brian Winter is the editor-in-chief of Americas Quarterly Background reading: - "NEW AQ: The Urgent Effort to Integrate Latin America's Migrants" (https://www.americasquarterly.org/content/migration-leader) "For Migrants in Latin America, Public Health Risks Go Beyond the Coronavirus," by Luisa Feline Freier (https://www.americasquarterly.org/content/risks-public-health-migration) - "The Backlash to Venezuelan Migration Is Here," by Brian Winter (https://www.americasquarterly.org/content/explosive-politics-migration)

As other Latin American governments pass big stimulus packages to fight the COVID-19 outbreak, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has opted for austerity. Why? Is there any chance he changes his mind? Vanessa Rubio Márquez, a senator and Mexico's former undersecretary of finance and public credit, spoke to AQ's Editor-in-chief Brian Winter about the response so far - and a different path forward.

China was instrumental in helping Latin America weather the last global financial crisis. Can it do so again? The coming recession could offer the superpower a new opportunity to build influence in Latin America. But this isn't 2008, says China-Latin America expert Margaret Myers, and the regional relationship is a lot more complicated. Myers joined AQ's Editor-in-chief Brian Winter to discuss what China wants in Latin America, and what the pandemic changes. Guests: Margaret Myers is the director of the China and Latin America program at the Inter-American Dialogue. Brian Winter is the editor-in-chief of Americas Quarterly Background reading: "Could China Be a White Knight Again for Latin America?" by Margaret Myers and Kevin P. Gallagher (https://www.americasquarterly.org/content/could-china-be-white-knight-again-latin-america) "The Reasons for China's Cooling Interest in Latin America" by Margaret Myers (https://www.americasquarterly.org/content/how-beijing-sees-it)