Photo by @deensel. "Las Condes.” January 5, 2018. Santiago, Chile. Flickr.
Plaza Central, a podcast from the Wilson Center’s Latin American Program, keeps you informed about Latin America’s most pressing political, economic, and social developments through interviews with leading experts and policymakers.
Tune in on your favorite platform
Seiscientos once días en las sombras
In this episode of the Latin American Program’s Plaza Central podcast, Juan Sebastián Chamorro, a Nicaraguan economist and opposition leader imprisoned by Daniel Ortega for 611 days, recounts his time in El Chipote prison, his sudden release and arrival in the United States, and the future of Nicaragua’s opposition movement.
Listen
South America’s Lithium and the Race to Go Green
In this episode of Plaza Central, guest host Patricia I. Vásquez speaks with Benchmark Mineral Intelligence Executive Editor Henry Sanderson about his new book “Volt Rush: The Winners and Losers in the Race to Go Green,” the prominent role of China in the lithium value chain, the unique opportunities that the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act offers for the Lithium Triangle to grow its lithium industry, and the optimal position of Argentina and Chile to attract investments to their lithium industries.
Listen
Guyana Oil Rush
In this episode of Plaza Central, host Benjamin Gedan speaks with U.S. Ambassador to Guyana Sarah-Ann Lynch about the role of the United States in helping Guyana maximize the economic development opportunities from its rapidly expanding energy sector while strengthening its democratic institutions.
Listen
Pretty Peso: Impacts of U.S. and European Monetary Policy in Latin America
In this episode of Plaza Central, host Benjamin Gedan speaks with Alejo Czerwonko, chief investment officer for emerging markets in the Americas at UBS, and Gabriela Soní, chief investment officer for Mexico at UBS, about the impacts in Latin America of rapidly rising interest rates in the United States and Europe.
Listen
Back to the Drawing Board: Chileans Reject a New Constitution
In this episode of Plaza Central, guest host Anders Beal is joined by Heraldo Muñoz, former foreign minister of Chile, to discuss the results of Chile’s constitutional plebiscite and what the rejection of the proposed constitution means for the future of Chilean democracy.
Listen
The Future of U.S.-Colombia Relations
On August 7, Gustavo Petro was sworn-in as Colombia’s first-ever leftist president. Petro’s campaign platform promised important changes domestically and in foreign policy that could reshape Colombia’s relationship with the United States. In this episode, host Benjamin Gedan speaks with William Brownfield, a distinguished fellow at the Wilson Center and a former U.S. ambassador to Chile, Venezuela and Colombia, about the implications of Petro’s presidency for U.S.-Colombia ties.
Listen
El Futuro de la ‘Marea Verde’ en el Hemisferio
El 24 de junio pasado, la Suprema Corte de Estados Unidos revocó el fallo de Roe vs. Wade de 1973 el cual daba a las mujeres en Estados Unidos el derecho constitucional al aborto. Hasta el momento, 11 estados ya han prohibido el acceso al aborto y se espera que otros 11 lo hagan en las próximas semanas. En este episodio de Plaza Central, Beatriz García Nice plática con Macarena Sáez, directora ejecutiva de la División de Derechos de las Mujeres de Human Rights Watch, sobre el reciente fallo, las implicaciones que éste tiene para los movimientos feministas a lo largo del hemisferio y cómo esto posiciona Estados Unidos como salvaguarda de los derechos fundamentales de los individuos.
Learn More
El ‘Oro Blanco’ de la Argentina
En este episodio de Plaza Central, Patricia Vásquez, global fellow del Programa Latinoamericano del Wilson Center, explora con Matías Kulfas, ministro de desarrollo productivo de Argentina, las crecientes inversiones en el codiciado sector del litio y el papel de este mineral en la transición global hacia energías limpias.
Listen
Empoderando a las mujeres del norte del Cauca
En este episodio de Plaza Central, Beatriz García Nice plática con Clemencia Carabalí, fundadora de la Asociación de Mujeres Afrodescendientes del Norte del Cauca (ASOM), sobre las dificultades que atraviesan las mujeres afrodescendientes en el norte del Cauca, Colombia, a causa de la violencia, el racismo y el deterioro ambiental. También charlan sobre el rol de ASOM en el empoderamiento de las mujeres a nivel económico y político, y el desarrollo sostenible como derecho ciudadano y causal de desarrollo.
Listen
What Does Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine Mean for Latin America?
In this episode of Plaza Central, host Benjamin Gedan speaks with Charles Seville, senior director and co-head of Americas Sovereign Ratings at Fitch Ratings, about the economic impacts in Latin America of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Listen
Taiwan’s ‘Medical Diplomacy’ in Latin America
In this episode of Plaza Central, Benjamin Gedan speaks with Ian Chen, an associate professor at the Institute of Political Science at Taiwan’s National Sun Yat-sen University, to discuss the rivalry between China and Taiwan, why Taiwan is so invested in preserving diplomatic ties in Latin America, and how China wields “medical diplomacy” to pressure Taiwan’s allies.
Listen
The Alliance for Development in Democracy
In this special presentation of Plaza Central, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Panama Erika Mouynes, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Costa Rica Rodolfo Solano, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Dominican Republic Roberto Álvarez, and the Wilson Center's Cynthia Arnson discuss the Alliance for Development in Democracy, an initiative to promote democratic strengthening and economic growth through the tightening of the three countries’ commercial, demographic, and cultural ties.
Listen
Cooperación Hispanohablante
En este episodio de Plaza Central, Beatriz García Nice platica con el Secretario de Estado para Iberoamérica y el Caribe y el Español en el Mundo de España, el Embajador Juan Fernández Trigo, sobre el posicionamiento de España como un gran aliado en la donación de vacunas a países hispanohablantes, el estado de las relaciones entre España y América Latina y el llamado “revisionismo histórico” de la conquista española.
Listen
SOUTHCOM Gets its First Female Commander
In this episode of "Two the Point," Benjamin Gedan speaks with Liliana Ayalde, former U.S. ambassador to Brazil and former civilian deputy to the commander and foreign policy adviser at the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM). They discuss the confirmation of Lieutenant General Laura Richardson as the next commander of the U.S. Southern Command, the first woman to hold that post, and SOUTHCOM's priorities under the Biden administration.
Listen
El retorno de la justicia: El caso de Gloria Porras
En este episodio de “Two the Point,” Beatriz García Nice del Programa Latinoamericano platica con Gloria Porras, Magistrada Electa de la Corte de Constitucionalidad de Guatemala. En esta conversación discutieron su salida de Guatemala cuando se le negó tomar posesión de su tercer periodo como Magistrada Titular, el estado de derecho y la lucha contra la corrupción en Guatemala, así como la reunión que sostuvo recientemente con la Vicepresidenta de Estados Unidos, Kamala Harris.
Listen
Panama’s Pandemic Diplomacy: A Conversation with Foreign Minister Erika Mouynes
Host Benjamin Gedan is joined by Erika Mouynes, Panama’s foreign minister, to discuss challenges including climate change, migration from Colombia and navigating tensions between the United States and China, Panama’s most critical economic partners.
Listen
Pandemic Recovery in Latin America: From Vaccine Access to the Digital Divide
Cynthia Arnson, the Latin American Program Director, is joined by Luis Felipe López-Calva, UN Assistant Secretary General and UNDP Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, to discuss the pre-existing structural inequalities exacerbated by COVID-19 and the need to address these underlying issues to secure region-wide recovery.
Listen
Chile’s Foreign Policy Priorities: A Conversation with Foreign Minister Andrés Allamand
Cynthia Arnson, the Latin American Program Director, hosts Andrés Allamand, the Foreign Minister of Chile, to discuss what the region expect from the Biden administration, the prospects for a peaceful democratic transition in Venezuela, and the forthcoming election to select the members of the Constitutional Convention that will draft Chile’s new constitution.
Listen
A Tale of Two Coups
Former U.S. Ambassador to Honduras Hugo Llorens joins host Benjamin Gedan to analyze the parallels between the 2009 coup in Honduras and the recent coup d’état in Myanmar, which has presented the first foreign policy challenge for the Biden administration. Ambassador Llorens, who served in Tegucigalpa during the coup and its aftermath, discusses the lessons we might learn from the U.S. response to the Honduras political crisis, which occurred early in the Obama presidency.
Listen
Northbound
Cynthia Arnson, the Latin American Program Director, hosts Ricardo Zúñiga, Senior Diplomatic Fellow and the Brazil Institute Interim Director at the Wilson Center, to discuss the complex push and pull factors that drive Central Americans to migrate to the United States, the first migrant caravans of 2021, and the Biden administration’s plans for Central America.
Listen
Que Sea Ley
Host Benjamin Gedan is joined by Daniel Politi, a contributor to The New York Times based in Buenos Aires, to discuss Argentina’s historic vote in December legalizing abortion, how pro-choice campaigners pulled it off just two years after lawmakers rejected similar legislation and whether activists can replicate their success elsewhere in the region.
Listen
Just What the Doctor Ordered
Host Benjamin Gedan is joined by Nicolás Saldías, a Latin America analyst at the Economist Intelligence Unit, to discuss the legacy of the late former president of Uruguay Tabaré Vázquez and how a mild mannered doctor quietly transformed Uruguayan politics. Read “Farewell to an Unassuming Star of Latin America’s Left” by Nicolás Saldías: https://www.americasquarterly.org/article/farewell-to-an-unassuming-star-of-latin-americas-left/
Listen
Populists in the Kitchen
In this special episode of “Two the Point,” Lucio Castro, a Wilson Center Global Fellow, hosts Andrés Velasco, Dean of the School of Public Policy at the London School of Economics and Political Science and a former Finance Minister in Chile, to discuss education, inequality, and populism in post-pandemic Latin America.
Listen
Schoolless
In this special episode of “Two the Point,” Lucio Castro, a Wilson Center global fellow, hosts Nora Lustig, professor of Latin American economics and founding director of Tulane University’s Commitment to Equity Institute, to discuss the role of social policy in Latin America’s post-pandemic economic recovery and in mitigating increasing poverty.
Listen
Dangerous Waters
In this special episode of “Two the Point,” Lucio Castro, a Wilson Center global fellow, hosts Piero Ghezzi, an economist and former production minister of Peru, to discuss Latin America’s post-pandemic growth challenges and the chronic struggle in Peru to address labor informality.
Listen
The Lithium Triangle
In this episode of “Two the Point,” host Benjamin Gedan is joined by Patricia Vásquez, an independent energy expert and author of a new Latin American Program report, “The Lithium Triangle: The Case for Post-Pandemic Optimism,” to discuss the development opportunities and challenges for South America’s strategic lithium sector.
Listen
Mafalda and my Dad
In this episode of “Two The Point,” the Wilson Center’s Beatriz García Nice remembers the influence of “Quino,” the late Argentine cartoonist, and his beloved character Mafalda, on the Spanish-speaking world, and on her family.
Listen
Inside Lenín Moreno’s Government
Cynthia Arnson, the Latin American Program Director, hosts Juan Sebastián Roldán, Ecuador’s Chief of Staff, to discuss the country’s recent agreement with the IMF, the role of the Galápagos Islands in economic development, and President Lenín Moreno’s democratic reforms.
Listen
Disappearing Act
Host Benjamin Gedan is joined by María Baron, Global Executive Director at Fundación Directorio Legislativo, to discuss the disappearing act by Latin America’s legislatures during the COVID-19 crisis.
Listen
Grounded
Host Benjamin Gedan is joined by Peter Cerda, regional director for the Americas at the International Air Transport Association, to discuss the catastrophic impacts of COVID-19 on Latin America’s airlines, the responses by governments and the future of air travel in this region.
Listen
Contagion
Host Benjamin Gedan speaks with Anya Prusa, senior associate at the Wilson Center’s Brazil Institute, about Brazil’s COVID-19 crisis and its spillovers on neighboring countries.
Listen
Electing Uncertainty
Host Benjamin Gedan is joined by Daniel Zovatto, Director for Latin America and the Caribbean at the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, to discuss how the coronavirus has impacted and could continue to impact elections, democracy and civil liberties across Latin America.
Listen
Al Compás de un Tango Indio
Cynthia Arnson, the Latin American Program Director, hosts Hari Seshasayee, one of India’s foremost analysts of Latin America, to discuss India’s increasing exports to the region, India’s interest in Latin America’s Lithium Triangle, and the significance of China in India’s relationship with the region.
Listen
Update Venezuela: Maduro Tightens His Grip
Cynthia Arnson, the Latin American Program Director, hosts Wilson Center’s Global Fellow and IESA Professor Michael Penfold to discuss Venezuela’s authoritarian crisis and the U.S. policy response.
Listen
Al Otro Lado del Río (de la Plata)
Host Benjamin Gedan is joined by Ernesto Talvi, foreign minister of Uruguay and former presidential candidate, to discuss Uruguay's approach to the Venezuela crisis, its relationship with Argentina and the future of Mercosur.
Listen
Todos en Casa
Host Benjamin Gedan is joined by Ernesto Talvi, foreign minister of Uruguay and former presidential candidate, to discuss Uruguay's success containing COVID-19, and Uruguay's "Todos en Casa" operation to repatriate Uruguayans stranded abroad by the virus's outbreak.
Listen
From Taipei with Love
Host Benjamin Gedan is joined by Shihoko Goto, deputy director for geoeconomics and senior associate for Northeast Asia in the Wilson Center's Asia Program, who discusses Taiwan's COVID-19 pandemic response in Latin America.
Listen
Mask Diplomacy
Host Benjamin Gedan is joined by Margaret Myers, director of the Asia & Latin America Program at the Inter-American Dialogue, who shares insights on perceptions of China’s coronavirus assistance to Latin America, and the implications for U.S.-China competition.
Listen
Frying Pan to the Fire
Host Benjamin Gedan is joined by Alex Schober, DuckerFrontier’s senior analyst for Latin America, to discuss the coronavirus's economic consequences.
Listen
Don't Pass the Mate
Host Benjamin Gedan is joined by Nicolás Saldías, the Argentina Project’s senior researcher in the Wilson Center's Latin American Program, who shares on-the-ground insights on how the coronavirus is affecting life and the economy in Uruguay.
Listen
Uruguay’s Uphill Battle
Host Benjamin Gedan is joined by Todd Martinez, Fitch Ratings’ lead Uruguay analyst, to discuss Uruguay’s new government and the economic difficulties it inherited.
Listen
AMLO’s Teflon Approval Ratings
Host Benjamin Gedan is joined by Duncan Wood, director of the Wilson Center’s Mexico Institute, to discuss AMLO's high approval ratings, despite struggles with crime and economic malaise.
Listen