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Americas 360 is produced and edited by Oscar Cruz and Angela Robertson.
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Latin America’s 2021 Economic Outlook: A Conversation with the IMF’s Alejandro Werner
The economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is being felt around the world, and Latin America is no exception. IMF lending to bolster COVID-ravaged economies has gone to 21 countries in the region, where the pandemic’s impact has been magnified by natural disasters. As countries work to bounce back amid increased viral spread, Alejandro Werner, Director of the IMF’s Western Hemisphere Department, joins our experts to discuss the road to economic recovery in the Americas and the role the IMF can play.
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The IDB and Economic Recovery in the Americas: A Conversation with Mauricio Claver-Carone
The Inter-American Development Bank mounted a momentous effort in 2020 to help Latin America respond to the public health and economic impacts of the pandemic. As the region battles a second wave of the virus that is clouding its recovery prospects for 2021, Mauricio Claver-Carone, the IDB’s new president, joins our experts to discuss the IDB strategy for addressing these historic challenges.
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Does the Light on the Hill Still Shine Bright? Reactions to the Capitol Siege
On January 6, 2021, the day the U.S. Congress met to certify President-Elect Joe Biden’s Electoral College victory, a pro-Trump protest turned violent, overwhelming security, breaching and attacking the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, DC. As these shocking events unfolded, the eyes of the world were on the U.S. and the state of its democracy. Special guests José Díaz-Briseño of Mexico’s Reforma, Paola De Orte of Brazil’s O Globo, Rafael Mathus Ruiz of Argentina’s La Nación, and Alejandro Santos formerly of Colombia’s Semana Magazine join our experts to examine regional perceptions of these events and implications for the U.S. image across the Americas, with a special look at Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, and Colombia.
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From North to South: Biden’s Foreign Policy toward the Americas
As the inauguration of President-elect Joseph Biden draws near, special guest Dan Restrepo, former Senior Director for Western Hemisphere affairs at the National Security Council under President Obama, joins our experts for a second episode to discuss Biden’s potential plans and policies for the Americas, with a focus on Canada, Mexico, Central America, Venezuela, Brazil, and Argentina.
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Biden's Americas Strategy
As Latin America prepares for a new U.S. administration, special guest Dan Restrepo, former Senior Director for Western Hemisphere affairs at the National Security Council under President Obama, joins our experts to explore the potential hemispheric priorities for President-elect Joseph Biden, including migration, climate, and COVID-19 support. Additionally, Cynthia Arnson, Director of the Wilson Center’s Latin American Program, analyzes Venezuela’s National Assembly elections and the political future of Venezuela.
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Eta, Iota, & COVID-19: A Perfect Storm Hits Central America
With Hurricanes Eta and Iota smashing into Central America only two weeks apart, countries in the region are dealing with widespread devastation. Flooding, mudslides, and scores of fatalities, compounded by a surge in the COVID-19 pandemic, leave the hardest-hit Central American countries facing a large-scale humanitarian disaster, compounded by infrastructure damage that battered economies can scarcely afford. Special guests Gina Kawas Arita of Honduras, a Wilson Center-Vidanta Foundation Fellow, and Carlos Fernando Chamorro of Nicaragua's El Confidencial join our experts to discuss the scale of the destruction, its implications for migration and the spread of COVID-19, and the need for transparency and accountability in the delivery of economic aid.
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Americas First?: Election 2020 and the Future of U.S. Regional Policy
Most leaders in the Americas, with the notable exceptions of the Mexican and Brazilian presidents, quickly recognized Joe Biden as the U.S. president-elect and began planning for major changes to U.S. policy in the region. In this episode of “Americas 360,” our experts, and special guests Ernesto Londoño of The New York Times and Ana Paula Ordorica of Televisa, examine perceptions of the election across the Americas, with a special look at Brazil and Mexico.
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To the Polls! Bolivia's Presidential Election, Chile's Constitutional Plebiscite, and Canada's Surprise Confidence Vote
In this episode, our experts review the consequential outcome of Bolivia’s presidential election, discuss Chile’s plebiscite on writing a new constitution, and check in on Justin Trudeau’s shaky hold on the premiership and the new bedfellows keeping him in charge.
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What’s in a Name?: Latinx and Hispanic/Latino Identity
Research shows Hispanic Americans are more likely to identify as Hispanic or Latino rather than Latinx, a term introduced to be more inclusive and non-gender-specific. For Hispanic Heritage Month, we welcome special guest Mark Hugo López of the Pew Research Center to discuss the origins and rise of Latinx. Our experts step aside to welcome a group of young Latino professionals to discuss how the Latino community is responding to the term Latinx in the Americas and how this relates to identity.
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The Latino Vote: Will It Decide the U.S. Presidential Election?
The 2020 U.S. Election will be the first time that Latinos will be the largest non-white demographic in the electorate. In this episode, our experts and guest Sabrina Rodriguez, Trade Reporter at Politico, discuss Latino voters in the United States, the differences within this demographic and key policy priorities, and how political campaigns are working to earn the Latino vote, including the use of disinformation.
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Suspicious Minds? Disinformation and Democracy
How serious a threat is disinformation and freedom of expression infringement to democracy in the Americas? In this episode, our experts and guest Nina Janckowicz, the Wilson Center’s Disinformation Fellow, discuss the origins of disinformation, its pernicious role throughout the COVID-19 crisis and how to sustain and build institutions to mitigate its effects.
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School's Out
COVID-19 has upended school systems and worsened academic disparities throughout the hemisphere. Governments are scrambling to cobble together remote learning programs, including in regions where few students have laptops or tablets and many lack internet access. In this episode, our experts and guest Gabriel Sánchez Zinny, the former education minister for the Province of Buenos Aires, discuss back-to-school challenges for students who can’t go back to school.
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Coronavirus Gold Rush? Corruption Spreads in a Pandemic
Even in normal times, countries in the Americas have struggled to contain corruption, including in the vulnerable public health sector. The coronavirus has amplified this challenge, given snowballing demands for medical equipment and services, and the urgent need to ramp up public spending to support sputtering economies. On today's episode, we ask our experts and guest Delia Ferreira Rubio, chair of Transparency International, why corruption is exploding during COVID-19 and how governments should protect increasingly scarce public resources.
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Elections Amidst the Pandemic: Protecting Voters While Preserving Democracy
COVID-19 is challenging Latin America's fragile democracies in many ways, including the region's capacity to hold safe and fair elections. As the region struggles to contain the world's worst outbreak, several countries have postponed elections, while others have muddled through. To discuss how governments should approach elections during a pandemic, we speak to our experts and to Daniel Zovatto, the director for Latin America at International IDEA.
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Travel at Your Own Risk: Mexico’s AMLO Comes to Washington
Last week, in the first foreign trip of his presidency, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador traveled to Washington, D.C., to meet with President Donald Trump. To help make sense of the visit, our experts and a special guest, Mexico Institute Global Fellow and Former Mexican Ambassador to the United States Arturo Sarukhan, discuss the state of bilateral relations, the significance of the meeting for both leaders, and what was lost and gained from the visit.
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Just When You Thought It Had Hit Bottom: Venezuela Sinks Deeper Into Authoritarianism
As President Trump mused publicly about a meeting with Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro, our experts and a special guest, Latin American Program Global Fellow Michael Penfold, discuss the vanishing prospects for fair elections in Venezuela, the wisdom of direct engagement with the regime, and the influence of electoral politics on U.S. policy toward Venezuela.
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The Death of George Floyd and Race Relations in the Americas
In this week’s special focus edition of Americas 360, our roundtable discusses recent events in the United States in response to the killing of George Floyd while in police custody, and takes a look at how other countries in the Americas have reacted to what’s happening in the U.S. and the subsequent U.S. government response. The panelists then expand the discussion to explore the state of race relations throughout the Americas.
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Pandemic Politics in the Americas
How is Brazil handling its explosion of COVID-19 cases? Will discontent in Chile resurface in light of economic pain due to the coronavirus? Our regional experts, including special guest Latin American Program Global Fellow Lucía Dammert, address these topics while our roundtable takes a look at the economic impact of the COVID-19 crisis, how the Americas have responded to the pandemic, and more.
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Welcome to Americas 360
Introducing the Wilson Center’s newest podcast. In this episode: Will Argentina default again? Does Canada have a 'China problem?'" Is there an end in sight for Venezuela’s governing crisis? Our regional experts address these topics and more while our roundtable looks at how the Americas have responded to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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