The Americas Quarterly Podcast

Ranking history

About the show

Latest episodes

• Is Latin America Poised for Takeoff?

  October 1, 2026 · 34 min

  Latin America is having its best economic outlook since the commodities boom of the 2000s. Record commodity prices, a weak U.S. dollar, a privileged position in the global trade war—selling to both the U.S. and China— and a wave of…

• Brazil's Scandal-Plagued Election

  September 17, 2026 · 32 min

  Only a few weeks ago, there was a near consensus in Brazil that President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was the favorite to win this October’s election over his main challenger, conservative Senator Flávio Bolsonaro. Today, most polls show the…

• How Latin Americans Feel About the U.S., Democracy, Their Economies and More

  September 10, 2026 · 30 min

  We’re all used to hearing pessimistic headlines about the state of democracy in Latin America and beyond. But the latest edition of the AmericasBarometer survey suggests the mood may be shifting.  Support for democracy across the Americas…

• Colombia: An Early Test for the New Government

  August 27, 2026 · 33 min

  On August 7th, Abelardo de la Espriella was inaugurated as Colombia's new president after winning an incredibly tight election. Three days later, a 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck the western part of the country, leaving damages close to…

• Venezuela's Transition Talks

  August 13, 2026 · 33 min

  Venezuela's regime and parts of the political opposition are holding a new round of talks that analysts and citizens hope could lead to a democratic transition. The dialogue brings together Dinorah Figuera, representing the…

• Keiko Fujimori Takes Power. Can She Keep It?

  July 30, 2026 · 32 min

  On July 28th, Keiko Fujimori took office as Peru’s ninth president in ten years. Most of her predecessors’ terms ended in impeachment, resignation, or prison. She won a June runoff by close to 50,000 votes, less than a full percentage…

• Latin America Joins the Space Race

  July 16, 2026 · 34 min

  The $75 billion IPO for Elon Musk's SpaceX is just the latest sign of explosive growth in the global space industry, which is forecast to reach $1.8 trillion by 2035. Latin America, it turns out, has more to offer this boom than most…

• A New Criminal Landscape in Latin America

  July 2, 2026 · 33 min

  Security has become the defining issue in Latin American politics. In Colombia, Abelardo de la Espriella won the presidency on a hardline security platform and a promise to scrap Petro's total peace plan. In Ecuador, Daniel Noboa won…