The Americas Quarterly Podcast

"I've tended to be a glass half-full person all my life," says Brazilian economic guru Armínio Fraga. So how does he currently see Brazil? In this podcast, Fraga discusses the country's recent economic weakness, the pressing reform agenda, and risks associated with populist candidates in this October's presidential election - particularly Jair Bolsonaro, the right-wing candidate who is winning support from some corners of the business world.

Has Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) become more pragmatic in recent years? Or is the man likely to win Mexico’s upcoming presidential election still the same institution-defying firebrand who set up a “parallel government” and cut off the capital’s main avenue when he lost the 2006 election by a whisker? “I think in some ways he has evolved,” says Denise Dresser, one of Mexico’s most prominent political analysts. “He has learned from his mistake … when his radicalization and confrontational stance led him to lose many moderate supporters.” But to what extent is that true? Does AMLO really understand the nuances of economic policy? And what will his relationship with Donald Trump be like if elected? Dresser and AQ Editor-in-Chief Brian Winter discuss these questions and more in this new podcast.

Polls show that most Colombians are more concerned with issues like corruption, the economy and urban security than they are with the FARC peace deal. That fact should inform the next president’s agenda, says Ricardo Ávila, Editor-in-Chief of Colombian business daily Portafolio and Deputy Editor-in-Chief of El Tiempo. In this episode of the Americas Quarterly podcast, Ávila explains why he thinks Iván Duque, the 41-year-old former senator widely favored to win Colombia’s second-round presidential election on June 17, will face a turbulent four years in office if he's elected. Ávila and AQ’s Brian Winter also discuss what role former President Álvaro Uribe would play in a Duque presidency, and how Gustavo Petro is already positioning himself for another presidential run in 2022.

Western views of China’s growing influence in Latin America are riddled with misconceptions. That’s just fine with Beijing, says Oliver Stuenkel, a professor at Brazil’s Fundação Getulio Vargas and the author of The BRICS and the Future of Global Order. In this episode of the Americas Quarterly podcast, Stuenkel explains how simplistic ideas about China’s efforts in the region have helped the country advance its interests. Stuenkel and AQ Editor-in-Chief Brian Winter also discuss the calculated approach Chinese leaders are taking towards Venezuela, and a tumultuous presidential race in Brazil.

Nearly two months have passed since the murder of Rio de Janeiro councilwoman Marielle Franco, and the identity of her killers is still unknown. In this episode of Americas Quarterly’s podcast “Deep South,” award-winning journalist Glenn Greenwald – who had a close personal connection to Franco – shares why he thinks whoever killed her may have had intimate knowledge of how police investigations are conducted in Brazil. “I don’t think (her killers) anticipated the importance of Marielle as a symbol and a repository of hope for so many people,” said Greenwald. AQ Editor-in-Chief Brian Winter also asks Greenwald about the potential impact of Franco’s case on this year’s upcoming elections and whether Jair Bolsonaro could really become Brazil's next president.

In this inaugural edition of Americas Quarterly’s podcast “Deep South,” David Smolansky explains why Venezuela’s upcoming election is a sham – and what the opposition should be doing instead. “Maduro is in a transition from authoritarianism to totalitarianism,” the 32-year-old former mayor says. Smolansky, who since going into exile in August has become one of the most prominent Venezuelans in Washington, talks about his contacts with the Trump administration and other Latin American governments that support restoring democracy. He also narrates his dramatic escape from Venezuela, pushes back against criticism of the “divided opposition,” and talks about the “weird” sensation of appearing on the cover of AQ’s latest issue.