How Healthy Is Democracy in Latin America?

FromLatin America in Focus

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How Healthy Is Democracy in Latin America?

FromLatin America in Focus

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19 minutes

Released:

Jan 17, 2019

Format:

Podcast episode

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“Latin Americans are not thrilled with democracy, but there’s very little evidence that…voters prefer any alternative,” says Steven Levitsky, co-author of How Democracies Die. In this interview with AS/COA Online’s Holly K. Sonneland, the Harvard professor talks about Brazil’s election, strategies for the Venezuelan opposition, and the lack of female authoritarians.

Released:

Jan 17, 2019

Format:

Podcast episode

Titles in the series (100)

Go in depth on the latest trends in Latin American politics, economics, and culture in this podcast series by Americas Society/Council of the Americas.

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Congressman Rick Crawford on U.S. Agricultural Trade with Cuba: Trade is good business for both the U.S. and Cuban economies, says Arkansas Republican Rick Crawford, who talks with Elizabeth Gonzalez about a bill he introduced that would ease trade restrictions between Washington and Havana. Get more content on Cuba from AS/COA's Cuba Working Group: www.as-coa.org/cuba by Latin America in Focus
9 min listen
The Intertwined Nature Of U.S.-Mexico Ties: Diego Gómez Pickering spoke with AS/COA Online’s Carin Zissis about the message that Mexico is working to get out about close ties with the United States. “Nowadays we cannot talk of the Mexican economy and the American economy separately,” he says. “If jobs are lost here, jobs are lost in Mexico. If we create jobs in Mexico, jobs are created here in the United States.” by Latin America in Focus
14 min listen
The Agenda for the North American Leaders' Summit: Days after British voters backed Brexit, the heads of state of Canada, Mexico, and the United States meet for the North American Leaders' Summit. Integration's benefits count as one issue on their full agenda, explains Council of the Americas' Eric Farnsworth to AS/COA Online's Carin Zissis. by Latin America in Focus
16 min listen
Crisis Mode: Brazil’s Current Scenario: Ricardo Gandour, director of Grupo Estado, speaks with Luisa Leme about the “perfect storm” of events putting Brazil in crisis mode. His proposed solution? A new constitution. Hear what the head of one of Brazil’s largest media companies has to say. by Latin America in Focus
11 min listen
Peru's Dramatic 2016 Presidential Election: Harvard's Steven Levitsky talks with Holly K. Sonneland about Peru's 2016 presidential election, the candidates, and the ups and downs of the race. For more content from AS/COA, go to www.as-coa.org. by Latin America in Focus
11 min listen
Mexico’s Evolving Marijuana Laws: Alejandro Hope, El Daily Post’s security editor, speaks with Carin Zissis about how national-level changes in drug policy in the Americas have an impact on global policy. He predicts a large portion of the legislation that underpins marijuana prohibition in Mexico today will eventually be declared unconstitutional. by Latin America in Focus
10 min listen
Will Venezuela Default?: Moody's Jaime Reusche talks with Holly K. Sonneland about Venezuela's upcoming bond payments, its complicated relationship with China, and what oil price will keep the budget in the black. Get more content on Venezuela from AS/COA here: www.as-coa.org/venezuela by Latin America in Focus
9 min listen
Richard Feinberg on the Post-Castro Cuban Economy: How will Cuba change after Fidel Castro’s death and with a new U.S. president taking office? Richard Feinberg shared his insights with AS/COA’s Alana Tummino at a launch for his new book Open for Business: Building the New Cuban Economy. by Latin America in Focus
43 min listen
Argentina's Rocky Road to Growth: Argentina’s economy will expand 3.5 percent in 2017, but that’s after a few bumps and a recession in 2016. AS/COA Online's Elizabeth Gonzalez spoke to economist Fernando Navajas of the Buenos Aires-based think tank Fundación de Investigaciones Económicas Latinoamericanas about the government's economic agenda ahead of the 2017 midterm elections. by Latin America in Focus
10 min listen
El rol de las redes sociales en la democracia venezolana: Luz Mely Reyes, cofundadora del medio noticioso comunitario y colaborativo Efecto Cocuyo, habla con Guillermo Zubillaga sobre su carrera, el rol de las redes sociales en la democracia venezolana y por qué su página lleva el nombre de un insecto fosforescente. Para más del grupo de trabajo sobre Venezuela de AS/COA, diríjase a: www.as-coa.org/venezuela by Latin America in Focus
13 min listen
The Achilles Heel of Cuba's Energy Sector: Venezuelan oil production is at its lowest point in 13 years, and that means Cuba risks taking on a $1.3-billion deficit if oil shipments from Caracas were to stop. University of Texas at Austin's Jorge R. Piñon talks with AS/COA Online's Elizabeth Gonzalez about whether the island's economy can handle the shock. by Latin America in Focus
16 min listen
An On-the-Ground View of Rio’s Olympic Dream: Getting ready for the Olympics brought big changes to Rio, but the city was already going through a transformation. Rio-based Julia Michaels, author of RioReal blog, talks with AS/COA Online’s Luisa Leme about what cariocas have gained from mega-event preparations, even as Brazil tackles corruption scandals and economic woes. by Latin America in Focus
18 min listen
Fixing Brazil's Economy: The IMF's executive director outlines where economic policy went wrong and draws lessons from Brazil's worst crisis in decades, saying the process could lead to a new relationship between the private and public sectors. by Latin America in Focus
13 min listen
Colombia's Post-Conflict Challenges: Frank Pearl, a negotiator in peace talks between the Colombian government and the FARC and ELN, talks with AS/COA's Adriana La Rotta about what comes next once the peace deal is signed. He addressed how Colombians perceive the peace process and the potential success to reintegrate millions of people affected by the conflict. by Latin America in Focus
13 min listen
Josefina Vidal on a Changing Cuba: As Cuba continues to expand its private sector, AS/COA Online talks with Josefina Vidal, Cuba’s director of foreign affairs with the United States, on the country’s economic reforms. Vidal offers a Cuban perspective on the U.S. presidential elections and bilateral policy priorities, and challenges Cuban-Americans' interpretation of changes on the island. by Latin America in Focus
11 min listen
Chilean Voters “Are Not Looking for Pure, Perfect Politicians”: It’s election season in Chile, marking the start of a long electoral cycle across some 10 Latin American countries voting for president through 2018. Chile’s first-round vote isn’t until November 19, but presidential hopefuls are already prepping ahead of the July 2 primary. Political scientist Patricio Navia spoke to AS/COA Online’s Elizabeth Gonzalez about the top issues and candidates in the race. by Latin America in Focus
22 min listen
How One New York Entrepreneur Made It in Medellín: What makes Medellín the Silicon Valley of Latin America? For tech entrepreneur Nelson Almanzar, it’s the talent, technology, and business resources. In an interview with AS/COA Online’s Elizabeth Gonzalez, Almanzar talks about opening up shop for Talos Digital in Colombia’s second-largest city. by Latin America in Focus
9 min listen
Jorge Castañeda Portends Changing Times for Mexico: What’s the next step for Mexico in its 10-year-old drug war? What would it take to end the country’s corruption epidemic? Who will win the 2018 presidential election? Jorge Castañeda, ex-foreign secretary of Mexico, spoke with AS/COA Online’s Carin Zissis, sharing answers to these questions and how they relate to turbulence in U.S.-Mexican ties under the Trump administration. by Latin America in Focus
12 min listen
Julio Borges on Civil Disobedience in Venezuela: In Venezuela, since the government no longer follows the Constitution, calls to practice civil disobedience in fact seek a return to order, says congressional opposition leader Julio Borges. The Justice First party leader talks with AS/COA Online's Holly K. Sonneland about the recall referendum against President Nicolás Maduro, the September 1 march on Caracas, and telling his young quadruplets why government supporters beat him. More: http://www.as-coa.org/articles/latam-focus-julio-borges-civil-disobedience-venezuela by Latin America in Focus
14 min listen
Breaking Gender Norms in the Field of Law by Latin America in Focus
12 min listen
The Trump Threat to North American Security: What do you do when a U.S. presidential candidate makes bashing your country a campaign centerpiece? Try to set the record straight. Agustín Barrios Gómez, Mexico Image Foundation president and former Mexican congressman, talks with AS/COA Online’s Carin Zissis about the risks involved with damaging the U.S.-Mexican relationship. by Latin America in Focus
24 min listen
Simón Gaviria on Financing Peace in Colombia: Foreign direct investment in Colombia stands to triple in a post-conflict era. Simón Gaviria speaks with AS/COA Online’s Holly Sonneland about how Colombia's government is financing peace in the anticipation of an agreement with the FARC. by Latin America in Focus
5 min listen
Can U.S. Agricultural Exports to Cuba Line up with White House Policy?: Congressman Rick Crawford (R-AR) has taken on the role of arbiter when it comes to negotiating U.S. agricultural trade to Cuba, sponsoring a bill that allows U.S. firms to let Cuba pay for exports with credit. The legislator has been working with Cuban-American lawmakers to widen the base of support on Capitol Hill and line up with the White House's trade agenda. “This fits very well in the Trump model: bilateral trade deals, and jobs, and America first,” he told AS/COA Online's Elizabeth Gonzalez in this interview. by Latin America in Focus
22 min listen
Analyzing the 2016 Latino Vote with Bendixen & Amandi: Florida's changing Latino demographics are turning the swing state blue. The Miami polling firm’s Anthony Williams talked with AS/COA Online's Holly K. Sonneland about Donald Trump's "astronomically" low approval rating among Hispanic voters and how Hillary Clinton should focus on making sure people actually get out of bed and vote for her on Election Day. by Latin America in Focus
12 min listen
Millennials and the Future of Mexican Elections: While pundits piece together what was behind a Trump win in the U.S., Mexicans are looking ahead to their 2018 presidential vote. The results could be just as hard to predict, thanks to shifting political views held by millennials. Nacion321’s Alejandro Moreno and Pancho Parra tell AS/COA Online’s Carin Zissis why Mexico’s next election belongs to that generation. by Latin America in Focus
27 min listen
Russ Dallen on Venezuela's Not-Quite Breaking Point: The worst thing about Venezuela's crisis? It's that there's nothing left from the trillions of dollars reaped during the oil boom, says Caracas Capital's Russ Dallen. In this podcast, Dallen, also a lawyer and journalist, analyzes the country's latest swap deal, production figures, and more with AS/COA Online's Holly K. Sonneland. by Latin America in Focus
19 min listen
Why the Paris Agreement Spells Wins for Latin America: Donald Trump's decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris Agreement might make Latin American countries more competitive in the global shift towards a clean economy. Brown University's Guy Edwards spoke with AS/COA Online’s Luisa Leme about how the region can attract investments for clean energy and resilient infrastructure while playing a global role in the climate change fight. by Latin America in Focus
26 min listen
Políticos latinoamericanos deben entender que la agenda LGBT es “mainstream”: En Latinoamérica, al menos cuatro países hoy en día han legalizado matrimonios del mismo sexo. Sin embargo a pesar de esto, los avances en los derechos de la comunidad LGBT están rezagados en comparación con la opinión pública en la región. Jaime Parada Hoyl, el primer político abiertamente gay elegido en Chile, conversa con Elizabeth Gonzalez de AS/COA Online sobre los desafíos que enfrenta su país y la región en general. by Latin America in Focus
25 min listen
In Latin America, the New China Is Here to Stay: China’s growing middle class is an opportunity for Latin American economies, but the region has to be proactive about it, says Angel Melguizo. The head of the Latin American and Caribbean Unit in the OECD’s Development Center tells AS/COA Online’s Elizabeth Gonzalez about the changing relationship with Beijing, from rising trade with Mexico to Venezuela's loans. by Latin America in Focus
24 min listen
Keeping Mexico City from the Brink of Disaster: Earthquakes. Floods. Traffic. Pollution. Mexico City is prone to its fair share of hazards. But how does a metropolitan area that's home to 20 million people not only respond to them but also prepare to mitigate the risks? With a resilience strategy. AS/COA Online's Carin Zissis spoke with Mexico City's Chief Resilience Officer Arnoldo Matus Kramer about the capital's new resilience plan, starting with how to explain the concept in the first place. by Latin America in Focus
20 min listen

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How the Dominican Republic Breaks Latin America’s Election Mold: The Dominican Republic’s Luis Abinader is one of the most popular leaders in Latin America, if not the world, so it may come as little surprise that Abinader appears to be on comfortable footing to win in the first round of the country’s presidential vote on May 19. But then again, the country’s political climate differs from that of the rest of Latin America in that presidents tend to be popular, elections don’t usually go to runoffs, and polarization levels remain low. In this episode, Temple University Professor Emeritus Rosario Espinal talks with AS/COA Online’s Carin Zissis, providing a larger context to this Dominican electoral cycle.This is the fourth episode in our 2024 election series. Prior episodes covered the economic agenda for Panama’s next president, the youth vote in Mexico, and Nayib Bukele’s global reach. Get this content and more electoral insight in this year guide at www.as-coa.org/2024. Access a poll by Latin America in Focus
23 min listen
Is Latin America Ready for Another Pandemic: An old adversary of Latin America is back: Dengue. The current outbreak of the mosquito-transmitted disease is the worst in years. Across the region, from Argentina to Brazil to Puerto Rico, images of hospitals filled with patients are coming into view. Four years after the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, how well-equipped is the region to tackle this one—or those to follow? In this episode, we hear from Dr. Mariangela Simão, the head of the Brazilian Instituto Todos pela Saude and formerly of the WHO. In a conversation with AS/COA Online’s Chase Harrison, she covers the outbreak, the strengths and liabilities Latin America has in battling pandemics, and what advice she’d give Brazil’s president. by Latin America in Focus
28 min listen
What's on the Economic Agenda for Panama's Next President?: Panama is facing a moment of uncertainty amid an electoral race with eight candidates, droughts affecting the Panama Canal, and fallout over massive 2023 mining protests. But Felipe Chapman, chairman and managing partner of economic and financial advisory firm INDESA, remains optimistic about his country’s future. In a conversation with AS/COA Vice President Ragnhild Melzi, he says Panama’s challenges are “fixable” as he outlines the economic agenda for the next administration. by Latin America in Focus
33 min listen
Brian A. Nichols on the Biden Administration's Latin America Policy: Just hours before Joe Biden’s State of the Union address, the State Department’s Assistant Secretary for the Western Hemisphere Brian A. Nichols joined AS/COA in an event covering the state of U.S. policy in the Americas. In a conversation with AS/COA Vice President Eric Farnsworth, Ambassador Nichols laid out the administration’s positions on regional quagmires, such as Haiti’s humanitarian and political crises and the fairness of Venezuela’s July elections. But he also delved into opportunities in the region like partnering on critical minerals and renewable energy with Argentina or deepening already strong economic ties with Mexico. What will Washington do if the Maduro regime doesn’t allow opposition candidate María Corina Machado to run? How will Mexico’s election affect the bilateral relationship? All this and more are covered in this episode. by Latin America in Focus
33 min listen
As Mexico’s Election Fires Up, a Look at Youth and Democracy: In Mexico’s 2024 vote, more than a quarter of eligible voters are under 30 and nearly half are under 40. That means younger voters have an opportunity to play a major role in an election not only for president, but one that will see more than 20,000 seats up for grabs. But they have to participate if they want to have an impact. Me Veo, an organization focused on getting out the vote in this election, is seeking to do just that. Its director, Alexandra Zapata, joined the podcast to spells out ways to get Mexico’s young voters engaged. And in the opening segment, Professor Noam Lupu of Vanderbilt University’s LAPOP Lab explains the latest AmericasBarometer report, which shows Latin America’s young voters may be more committed to democracy than previously thought. by Latin America in Focus
29 min listen
How Courts Can Make or Break Latin America's Corruption Battle: When it comes to corruption perceptions, Latin America is stagnating. And what’s one major obstacle to improvement? Judiciary independence, explains Transparency International’s Luciana Torchiaro. In this episode, she dives deep into how the region fared in her organization’s latest Corruption Perceptions Index, released in January 2024, and tells AS/COA Online’s Luisa Leme why attempts to weaken the judiciaries in countries such as Brazil, Mexico, and Honduras are hindering the battle against corruption. But the news isn’t all bad. She explains how steps taken in the Dominican Republic serve as a model, and why Chile has an opportunity to restore its standing as a regional transparency leader. by Latin America in Focus
22 min listen
Online Reach and Expat Votes in El Salvador’s Election: 2024 will be a big year for Latin American elections, and the first one takes place in El Salvador. Popular President Nayib Bukele is likely to win a race that showcases his regional—and global—influence. Digital Democracy Institute of the Americas’ Roberta Braga explains how Bukele’s social media strategy spreads beyond El Salvador’s borders and calls for a rethink of how online disinformation. Virginia Commonwealth University’s Michael Paarlberg delves into how that message is being received in the large Salvadoran diaspora, which is expected to vote in record numbers this year. This episode will be the first in a series exploring the year’s elections and the forces shaping them. Catch the series and learn about 2024 elections via our guide. by Latin America in Focus
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Bonus Episode: Amb. Thomas Shannon on How Lula's Win Resets Brazil's Foreign Policy: In January, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will start a third term as Brazil’s president two decades after he began his first—and in a remarkably changed world. In this episode, former U.S. Ambassador to Brazil Thomas Shannon tells Executive Producer Luisa Leme what Lula’s comeback means for Latin America, U.S. relations, China, and the world. To learn more about this year’s Latin American elections, visit: www.as-coa.org/2022 The music in this episode is "Tarde de Chuva" by Paulo Moura, performed by Cliff Korman Ensemble for Americas Society. Learn more at: www.musicoftheamericas.org by Latin America in Focus
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Democracy, Populism, and the Tyranny of the Minority: Political scientists explore the threats facing democracy in America and around the globe. by We the People
63 min listen
Civil rights, civil unrest: As protests continue throughout the U.S. in the wake of George Floyd’s death, we’ve been thinking a lot about comparisons to the Civil Rights era and whether the models for demonstrations created during that era are still relevant today. As we’ve discussed on the show before, public memory is a fuzzy thing and we’re seeing […] by Democracy Works
40 min listen
Beyond Roe: The Mutually Reinforcing Nature of Misogyny and Autocracy: The United States is still reeling from the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, ending the constitutional right to abortion. The move makes the United States an outlier among developed countries when it comes to abortion rights, but this ro... by The Foreign Affairs Interview
38 min listen
Postscript: A Discussion of Race, Anger and Citizenship in the USA: Race now drives American political feeling. What does this mean for American democracy today? by New Books in Public Policy
80 min listen
After 100 years, there's still no "woman voter": As we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, this episode traces the history of women's voting behavior and why women voters have never been a monolith — despite efforts to portray them that way. by Democracy Works
31 min listen
Daniel Ziblatt: USA’s forfatning skal gå en demokratisk fremtid i møde: Med bogen How Democracies Die leverede Daniel Ziblatt sammen med sin medforfatter Steven Levitzky den store analyse af det amerikanske demokrati oven på valget i 2016 af Donald Trump som amerikansk præsident. Nu er de to forfattere tilbage med en ny ... by Langsomme samtaler
45 min listen
139. Shelby Steele — Shame: How America’s Past Sins Have Polarized Our Country & the film What Killed Michael Brown?: The United States today is hopelessly polarized; the political Right and Left have hardened into rigid and deeply antagonistic camps, preventing any sort of progress. Amid the bickering and inertia, the promise of the 1960s—when we came... by The Michael Shermer Show
98 min listen
The roots of radical partisanship: Lilliana Mason of the SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University joins us this week to discuss her work on the radicalization of American politics and why political scientists have been slow to catch onto it. by Democracy Works
46 min listen
Gladys L. Mitchell-Walthour, "The Politics of Survival: Black Women Social Welfare Beneficiaries in Brazil and the United States" (Columbia UP, 2023): An interview with Gladys L. Mitchell-Walthour by New Books in Sociology
91 min listen
Gladys L. Mitchell-Walthour, "The Politics of Survival: Black Women Social Welfare Beneficiaries in Brazil and the United States" (Columbia UP, 2023): An interview with Gladys L. Mitchell-Walthour by New Books in Gender
91 min listen
Gladys L. Mitchell-Walthour, "The Politics of Survival: Black Women Social Welfare Beneficiaries in Brazil and the United States" (Columbia UP, 2023): An interview with Gladys L. Mitchell-Walthour by New Books in Anthropology
91 min listen
Gladys L. Mitchell-Walthour, "The Politics of Survival: Black Women Social Welfare Beneficiaries in Brazil and the United States" (Columbia UP, 2023): An interview with Gladys L. Mitchell-Walthour by New Books in Public Policy
91 min listen
History of Black Thought: Chris Lebron: Understanding Black Lives Matter Black Lives Matter stands as a movement to demand and secure Black humanity. Being a leader-full movement makes it less susceptible to disruption and has de-centered Black patriarchy. Its broad and deep inclusivity has... by Future Hindsight
41 min listen
Evangelical Masculinity: What are evangelical men taught about gender and their place in the world? Dr. Bradley Onishi, a scholar of religion and host of the Straight White American Jesus podcast, joins us to discuss why evangelical men valorize aggressive masculinity. We al ... by The Revealer
31 min listen
What will it take to make democracy more representative?: As politicians begin to announce their candidacies for the 2024 elections, we examine the barriers that exist for women of color when it comes to running for and winning elections. by Democracy Works
47 min listen
Janet Jakobsen, "The Sex Obsession: Perversity and Possibility in American Politics" (NYU Press, 2020): Why are Americans, and American politicians more specifically, obsessed with sex? Why, in the words of Janet Jakobsen, are gender and sexuality such riveting public policy concerns the United States? by New Books in Sex, Sexuality, and Sex Work
57 min listen
Charlie Jeffries, "Teenage Dreams: Girlhood Sexualities in the U.S. Culture Wars" (Rutgers UP, 2022): An interview with Charlie Jeffries by New Books in Sex, Sexuality, and Sex Work
62 min listen
Charlie Jeffries, "Teenage Dreams: Girlhood Sexualities in the U.S. Culture Wars" (Rutgers UP, 2022): An interview with Charlie Jeffries by New Books in Public Policy
62 min listen
Venezuela in Crisis: Defending the Bolivarian Revolution: Dr. George Ciccariello-Maher is an American political theorist, commentator, and activist. He is an Associate Professor of Politics and Global Studies at Drexel University in Philadelphia and Visiting Researcher at the Institute for Social... by Revolutionary Left Radio
58 min listen
Robert Talisse & America's Real Polarization Problem by The Philosopher & The News
80 min listen
Yascha Mounk on the Future of Diverse Democracies by The Lawfare Podcast
56 min listen
Ep. 9: A century of women’s enfranchisement: Elizabeth Cascio discusses how generational change has contributed to the expanding political gap between men and women in the US. by AEA Research Highlights
27 min listen
Sikivu Hutchinson, “Moral Combat: Black Atheists, Gender Politics, and the Values Wars” (Infidel Books, 2011): Sikivu Hutchinson‘s book Moral Combat: Black Atheists, Gender Politics, and the Values Wars (Infidel Books, 2011) is a brave examination of African American religious perspectives vis a vis progressive racial politics, gender relations, by New Books in Religion
33 min listen
Robin Marie Averbeck, "Liberalism is not Enough: Race and Poverty in Postwar Political Thought" (UNC Press, 2018): Through ideological laden invocation of pluralism, the “culture of poverty,” and faith in the workings of democratic institutions, liberals shared with conservatives support for an individualistic and racist social order... by New Books in Critical Theory
58 min listen
Sexual Citizens: Jennifer S. Hirsch & Shamus Khan: "Experiences of assault are fundamentally grounded in power and precarity." by Future Hindsight
35 min listen
Jonathon S. Kahn and Vincent W. Lloyd, editors, “Race And Secularism in America” (Columbia UP, 2016): Jonathon S. Kahn is an associate professor of religion at Vassar College. He is co-editor with Vincent W. Lloyd of a collection of essays entitled Race and Secularism in America (Columbia University Press, 2016). by New Books in Religion
61 min listen

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How Healthy Is Democracy in Latin America?

How Healthy Is Democracy in Latin America?

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