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.

On The LatinNews Podcast this week, we take a profound look at current events involving Panama, most notably the statements about the country made by President Trump. Was Panama a bad deal for the US? Is there a possibility of the US invading Panama in a second take on 1989's operation Just Cause? Does China control the canal? It's a sign of the times that we have to seriously consider the possibility of President Trump ordering an invasion of a democratic ally. So, we put Panama's diplomatic tensions with the US into a historical context and deconstruct many of the baseless fallacies being repeated. Explaining in great depth and clarifying many of the complexities in the relationship between Panama and the US and the issues of the canal and Chinese involvement is John Feeley, former US ambassador to Panama, former political consultant for Univision, an officer and helicopter pilot in the Marine corps and a senior western hemisphere official. Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

As his popularity continues to wane, President Lula appears as if disconnected to the new realities in Brazil as he faces the most testing time in his political career. The weakness of Brazil's currency, the rising cost of living, the disastrous municipal elections in October 2024, the fiscal deficit and investor concerns are all issues which Lula needs to face up to but, as yet, has been unable to address. This week on The LatinNews Podcast, we speak to Richard Lapper, author and journalist and expert on Latin America. Lapper speaks about the potential consequences of Lula's failure to encourage his Partido dos Trabalhadores, Workers' Party in moving beyond its core politics, which were developed in 1970s and 1980s, to the new national reality in which poorer Brazilians are increasingly individualistic in their economic opportunities and therefore more detached from decisions in Brasilia. We also look ahead at the presidential elections tabled for October 2026 and ask: is there an anointed successor to Lula or opposition figure and former president Jair Bolsonaro and how Brazil's judiciary and congress are gaining more power at the expense of the executive. Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Suriname will vote for a new president on 25 May 2025 in what are seen as crucial elections set against the backdrop of economic uncertainty and the forthcoming exploitation of potentially wealth-changing oil reserves for the country. Presently, there are 15 to 17 parties registered and in this episode of The LatinNews Podcast we provide an explainer of the main parties and political players, the most pressing concerns of the electorate such as the economy, healthcare and relations with Guyana. Joining us is journalist Ank Kuipers who provides us with insightful considerations of current events in Suriname. We delve into how the electoral process works in Suriname, the issues of corruption and clientelism, the protests of 2023 and the impact of the death of the controversial if charismatic figure of Desi Bouterse in December 2024. Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

On The LatinNews Podcast this week, we take a look at the challenges ahead for Mercosur, Mercado Común del Sur (Southern Common Market), as this trading bloc seeks to sign a FTA with the EU despite opposition from several European nations and approval from others, political polarization and enmity between Argentina's President Milei and Brazil's President Lula. Does this new look deal being negotiated differ at all from the original one, what can we expect during this era of new international contexts with the government of President Trump in the USA, will Mercosur expand and will there be an agreement so that individual member states achieve bilateral trade deals with third parties? We speak to Ignacio Bartesaghi, PhD in International Relations, Director of the Instituto de Negocios Internacionales at the Universidad Católica del Uruguay and expert on Mercosur. Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

If we take President Milei's achievements in Argentina at his word, his policies have led to the reduction of inflation, created a fiscal surplus and a reduction of the country's credit debts. He has avoided impeachment, hyperinflation, reduced price indexes, controlled social unrest and carried out far-reaching austerity measures. Can President Milei consolidate stability, avoid problems with the exchange rate and maintain fiscal discipline in 2025 all in the lead up to mid-term elections in October? On The LatinNews Podcast this week, we speak to Jorge Morgenstern, chief economist at Galicia Más and formerly chief economist for HSBC in Latin America and explore how the Argentine public has largely bought in to the Milei experiment and looking ahead, with elections in Chile in 2025 and then in Colombia and Peru in 2026, could this model from Argentina - formerly a byword for economic instability in the region - be exported across the region. Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Despite mineral production never having dominated the economies of Central American countries, change appears to be on the horizon. On The LatinNews Podcast this week, we talk to Paul Harris, Americas editor for Mining Journal, Senior editor for Kitco and organizer of the Colombia Gold Symposium to hear his thoughts on upcoming decisions in El Salvador, Costa Rica and Panama. Firstly, President Bukele's proposal to walk back his country's 2017 total ban on metal mining in El Salvador and encourage multinational firms to exploit gold deposits, meanwhile, Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves submitted a bill to the unicameral National Assembly to reverse the ban on open-pit mining in that country. And, despite massive social protests in Panama in 2023, due to allegations of serious environmental contamination surrounding a copper mine there, President Mulino looks set to revisit the question of this closure. We ask Paul Harris about the possible outcomes of each circumstance, whether this may shake up attitudes to mining in Mexico and also extend our conversation to include the probabilities of a new mining code being released in Colombia in 2025. Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.