Journalist Mitra Taj and legal expert Alonso Gurmendi discuss the bumpy road ahead for Peru’s president elect, who faces opposition in Congress and among Lima’s elite, but whose presidency could change the face of the country’s politics and redefine the left.

Latin America in Focus

Pedro Castillo Gets the Keys to Peru’s Castle

In recent years, Latin America’s political pendulum has swung from building strong institutions toward electing strong leaders. The shift weakened the region’s nascent anti-corruption movement, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t bright spots. AS/COA Vice President and Americas Quarterly Editor-in-Chief Brian Winter talks with Luisa Leme about the findings of the 2021 Capacity to Combat Corruption Index and explains why the pandemic only heightens the need to strengthen anti-graft mechanisms. Read more: www.as-coa.org/cccindex

What Happened to Latin America's Anti-Corruption Push?

The 2021 Copa America kicks off June 13 in an almost empty stadium in Brasília. The tournament was slated to take place in Argentina and Colombia, but a combination of Covid-19 and social unrest forced them to give it up. Still, with Brazil struggling to overcome the pandemic, politicians, players, and fans alike are asking: Is now the time to be hosting a major sporting event? Felipe Cárdenas, staff writer for The Athletic, talks with AS/COA Online’s Chase Harrison about the controversies surrounding the Copa.

A Complicated Copa América

With Mexicans casting ballots for roughly 21,000 seats nationwide, the June 6 elections give voters a chance to assess President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s political movement nearly halfway through his presidency. El Financiero pollster and ITAM political scientist Alejandro Moreno tells AS/COA’s Carin Zissis covers what polls show about shifts in support, the pandemic’s impact, polarization, and more. Learn more about the 2021 Latin American elections at: www.as-coa.org/2021

A Pre-Midterm Pulse Check on the Mexican Electorate

Chile kicks off its electoral cycle in May with a vote for local, gubernatorial, and constitutional delegates and concludes with the selection of its next president. Isabel Aninat of Universidad Adolfo Ibañez in Santiago joins AS/COA Online’s Luisa Horwitz to discuss what’s at stake in each vote taking place.

Chile’s Busy Electoral Calendar

The transition to a fully digital world for many Brazilians reaffirmed data protection as a fundamental right. Still, concerns over both data privacy and protection loom large for the country after the recent implementation of a new data protection law and ahead of next year’s general elections. Rafael Zanatta of the Data Privacy Brasil Research Association joins Katie Hopkins to discuss.

The Push for Data Protection in Brazil

Sonarimba, imbaluna, sinusoido, ululante. Joaquín Orellana’s musical sculptures have unusual names, formed by mixing words to describe the sounds they create. Co-curators Sebastian Zubieta and Diana Flatto tell us about the career of Guatemalan composer and artist featured in The Spine of Music. Learn more about the exhibition: https://www.as-coa.org/orellana Watch and listen to Efluvios y puntos: https://youtu.be/TZpeCMolCAk

The Story behind Joaquín Orellana's Musical Sculptures

Ecuadorans were hoping for something new. Peruvians simply want a government that will work. In both countries, which hold elections on April 11, voters are largely unenthused by traditional politics—but have few viable alternative options. We preview both countries’ April 11 elections in conversations with Professors Alonso Gurmendi and Grace Jaramillo.

Voter Fatigue in Ecuador and Peru

There may be few silver linings to the pandemic, but accelerated financial inclusion in Latin America is one of them. In this episode, Luz Gomez and Arturo Franco of Mastercard’s Center for Inclusive Growth tell AS/COA Online’s Carin Zissis how COVID-19 compressed a decade’s worth of financial inclusion achievements into one year, and why the progress is crucial in a region that has long battled informality.

How the Pandemic Boosted Financial Inclusion

“I hate to say this, but democracy is not in good shape at the moment,” says former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, in conversation with ex-White House Chief of Staff Mack McLarty. In light of the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, the two discuss their thoughts on how the United States can repair its leadership image in the Western Hemisphere, with moderator Eric Farnsworth of AS/COA. Watch the full video of the discussion: t.ly/mmx6

Madeleine Albright and Mack McLarty on Democratic Resiliency in the Americas

Joe Biden pledged a shift from Donald Trump’s policies when it comes to Central America, particularly on issues like migration, democracy promotion, and corruption. In this episode, we speak to Salvadoran journalist Nelson Rauda of El Faro about the differences between the two presidents' approaches to the region and how that will impact domestic politics in countries like El Salvador and Honduras.

Washington's Shifts on Central America Policy

February marks a year since the first coronavirus cases were confirmed in Latin America. Now the pandemic has entered a new phase, one in which countries are trying to roll out vaccines as quickly as they can even as variants threaten to undermine the protection those vaccines offer. In this episode, COVID-19 researcher Dr. Roselyn Lemus-Martin covers vaccine rollout in the region while Doctors Without Borders’ Pierre Van Heddegem gives a ground-level view of a variant-fueled outbreak in Brazil’s Amazonas.

Vaccines and Variants a Year into the Pandemic

From tensions over the U.S. investigation against a Mexican general to reversing the Trump administration's immigration policy, there are plenty of pressing topics on the U.S.-Mexico agenda. COMEXI President and Mexico’s ex-Deputy Minister for North America Sergio Alcocer tells AS/COA’s Carin Zissis how bilateral relations could shake out in 2021 and beyond.

What’s on the Horizon for U.S.-Mexico Ties in a Biden Administration

From an absent president to illegal fishing to agro-tech, AS/COA Online dives into under-covered—but important—issues facing Latin America in a year of competing headlines. In this episode: AEI’s Ryan Berg talks about the deepening crackdown on Nicaragua’s opposition, Pew’s Dawn Borg Costanzi covers what the region can do to slow illegal fishing, and Frubana’s Carlos Upegui Echavarría gets into how the pandemic has accelerated change for the region’s food businesses. Read more: t.ly/mYQn

Three Stories You May Have Missed in 2020

Latin America should use the current crisis to “push for a greener, digital, and more inclusive future for the region,” said International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva. In this conversation with AS/COA President and CEO Susan Segal, the economist outlined the structural reforms the region must undertake to avoid stagnation.

IMF’s Kristalina Georgieva on Preventing another Lost Decade in Latin America

Go in depth on the latest trends in Latin American politics, economics, and culture in this podcast series by Americas Society/Council of the Americas.