In one of his final acts as president of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador pushed through a contentious judicial reform. López Obrador celebrated the overhaul of the judiciary as a necessity and an important legacy of his government. A primary concern is that the reform weakens judicial independence, reducing checks and balances on the government. There are fears the election process could be open to political influence, reducing the judiciary’s autonomy from government and strengthening the Morena party's dominance. There are also concerns that organized crime groups could interfere in the election of judges, threatening access to justice for victims and further inflating impunity levels. On The LatinNews Podcast this week, we speak to Julio Ríos-Figueroa, Associate Professor at the Department of Law at ITAM in Mexico City. His research focuses on comparative judicial politics, the rule of law, and empirical legal studies with a focus on the Latin American region. Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Threats of political violence and a deteriorating security situation are raising concerns as Colombia approaches its presidential elections in May 2026, while tensions with the United States have also increased. Security challenges are expected to weigh heavily on the upcoming electoral period. This week on The LatinNews Podcast, host Richard McColl speaks with Elizabeth Dickinson, Senior Analyst for the Andes Region at International Crisis Group, who explains the factors behind the current situation in Colombia and offers recommendations for the months ahead. Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Under President Santiago Peña, Paraguay is enjoying economic stability, the fastest growth in Latin America, the lowest debt to GDP ratio in the region, a stable currency and the award of investment grade status for the first time ever. And, while this is impressive and cause for celebration, analysts are asking what the Paraguayan government is doing to combat corruption? On The LatinNews Podcast this week, we speak to Andrew Nickson, Honorary Reader in Public Management and Latin American Studies at the University of Birmingham and ask about Peña's successes and his shortcomings over the first two years of his government, and what we can predict for the remaining three years. Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

President Noboa’s victory in Ecuador seems to have owed a huge amount to his sweeping crackdown on organised crime, which has seen the military permanently mobilised against gangs. Insecurity is repeatedly identified as voters’ main concern. Can Noboa deliver? It's clear that Noboa stands and falls on security and voters gave him the benefit of the doubt that he needed more time and that his rival González would be too soft on crime. But, he has to deliver on this as well as addressing an increasingly fraught situation due to massive energy outages, the state of economy and keeping the all-important indigenous voters onside. On The LatinNews Podcast this week, we hear from Walter Spurrier in Guayaquil. Spurrier is the president of Grupo Spurrier, a columnist for the Diario El Universo newspaper, and the director of the political economic publication Analisis Semanal or Weekly Analysis. Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

The biggest threat to Peru's efforts to further tap into its vast copper ore reserves is the growing number of informal and illegal mining activities. Conflicts between property owners and concession holders have become a critical issue, and the Peruvian government is striving to find a balance. Peru's rich copper and gold ore reserves have attracted hundreds of thousands of small-scale miners, most of whom operate in areas where they do not own mining rights. It is estimated that 40 per cent of Peru's gold exports come from informal mines. Many use a temporary registration process called REINFO, which allows them to operate while going through the formal process. The program is set to expire at the end of 2025, but the industry generally opposes it, arguing that these licenses serve as a cover for illegal activities. On The LatinNews Podcast this week, we discuss the complexities shrouding Peru's mining industry and what the government is and isn't doing to correct it with special guest Dr John Crabtree, research associate at the Latin American Centre at the University of Oxford, associate of the Politics Department at Brookes University in Oxford, and region head for Latin America at Oxford Analytica Ltd. Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Security and violent crime are the single most pressing issues on the minds of voters regarding the presidential elections in Costa Rica in February 2026 and so, on The LatinNews Podcast this week, we investigate the causes for these troubles - including inequality and marginalization - and what President Rodrigo Chaves has done to combat this. We discuss the broader trends in the region regarding the elections, Costa Rica's strong identity, Chaves' open admiration for President Bukele in El Salvador and the country's foreign policy plans. Joining us is Mary Fran T Malone, Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of New Hampshire where she teaches classes on democratization, comparative politics, and Latin American politics. Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

The recent election of American Cardinal Robert Prevost as Pope Leo XIV marks a historic moment for the Catholic Church. Not only is Leo XIV the first pope from the United States, but he is also a pontiff deeply connected to Latin America, where he dedicated nearly forty years to pastoral work, particularly in Peru. In this respect, Leo would appear to be another Latin American pope and there is great excitement in the region resulting from his nomination. On The LatinNews Podcast this week, we ask whether Pope Leo's deep connections to Latin America will ensure a continuation of Pope Francis' policies of diplomacy and solidarity with the region. As an advocate for human rights and the church's role in mediating social conflicts, will this put the pope at odds with the government of President Trump in the United States regarding their treatment of migrants and more? We speak to Mario I. Aguilar, Professor of Religion & Politics and Director of the Centre for the Study of Religion & Politics at the University of St Andrews. He is also a poet, an eremitic Camaldolese Benedictine Oblate, and has published widely in his interests in the theology of contemplation, the history of religion and issues of interfaith dialogue. Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

How much is historical revisionism in South America's southern cone responsible for a rise in the far-right in Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Uruguay? What does this mean for the largely prevailing consensus on the brutality and the indefensible and egregious human rights violations perpetrated by the dictatorships in the 1970s and 1980s? Can we point to an amnesia of these periods which has contributed to a democratic backsliding in the region? Where do President Javier Milei, former president Jair Bolsonaro, Chilean politician Jose Antonio Kast, and others, fit into this? In this episode of the LatinNews podcast we look at this theme and hear from Scott Mainwaring, the Eugene P. and Helen Conley Professor of Political Science at the University of Notre Dame who specialises in political parties, democratic and authoritarian regimes and political institutions in Latin America. Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

As if we hardly need reminding that Chile's controversial pension reforms were the focal point of protests at the heart of the civil unrest or "estallido social". This has been particularly incendiary in Chile with the AFP's origins dating back to the Pinochet dictatorship. Chile has always seemed like the Switzerland of Latin America, routinely topping regionally adjusted league tables, but obviously it was massively inequitable and the pension system bred particular resentment over time. On The LatinNews Podcast this week, we speak to Nicholas Barr, Professor of Public Economics at the London School of Economics and Political Science and author of numerous books and papers on the welfare state including pensions and higher education finance. Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

On The LatinNews Podcast this week, we take a look at the implications of mass deportations from the United States and the possible effects of this on Trinidad and Tobago's society, the current state of emergency due to violent crime as well as the upcoming elections in April. With the surge in gang-driven crime due to transnational drugs, arms and people trafficking, Trinidad and Tobago finds itself negotiating a precarious balancing act in managing the challenges of being located alongside Venezuela and adhering to demands from the United States. We speak to Ivelaw Lloyd Griffith, an expert on Caribbean affairs, a scholar turned writer and author of ten books, a retired political scientist who has served as President of Fort Valley State University and Vice Chancellor of the University of Guyana amongst other accolades. Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.