Despite trade tensions and political uncertainty, 2025 was not a bad year for Latin America's economies, with growth of around 2.4 percent, broadly in line with post-pandemic trends. In this episode we look ahead to 2026 and analyze the outlook...

2025 has been an extraordinarily active year for U.S. policy in Latin America. With the release of President Donald Trump’s new National Security Strategy, which places the Western Hemisphere first and promises to “reassert and enforce the Monr...

Right-wing candidates are gaining victories across Latin America. Chile will likely turn right in the upcoming second round of elections, Javier Milei made legislative gains in Argentina and in Bolivia recent elections ended 20 years of Movimie...

Chileans head to the polls this Sunday, November 16. In the last election cycle, Gabriel Boric won following the massive 2019 protests that shook the nation to its core. At the time, it seemed Chile was set for sweeping structural change: the c...

The recent deployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford, the U.S. Navy’s largest aircraft carrier, has intensified speculation about Washington’s true objectives in the Southern Caribbean. In this episode of the Americas Quarterly Podcast, we examine w...

Mexico’s Claudia Sheinbaum has hit the one-year mark of her presidency. In that time she has had to balance three key relationships: with President Donald Trump, with her still-powerful predecessor Andrés Manuel López Obrador and with the Mexic...

Argentina’s President Javier Milei just got a much-needed boost from his ally, U.S. President Donald Trump. The White House has signaled plans for a $20 billion swap line to contribute to Argentina’s fragile reserves—a lifeline coming just as M...

Latin America is entering a packed election season, with Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, Colombia, Peru and Brazil all set to elect presidents in the next 13 months. This is happening just as organized crime reaches unprecedented power. In several ...

A landmark trial is underway in Brazil: former President Jair Bolsonaro, an ally of U.S. President Donald Trump, stands accused of trying to overturn the 2022 election. Alongside military officials and ex-ministers, Bolsonaro faces charges that...

Bolivia's long-dominant MAS party has suffered a historic defeat, with its presidential candidate winning just 3% of the vote. The result reflects deep frustration over the country’s economic crisis and political infighting. In a surprise outco...

In this special mid-year episode, we take a step back for a look at where the region’s economies stand, and the picture is better than many expected. We evaluate the impact of Trump’s new tariffs, the short- and medium-term prospects for Mexico...

A major confrontation is brewing between the United States and Brazil, driven by the return of Donald Trump to the White House and the deepening legal troubles of his close Brazilian ally, former president Jair Bolsonaro. As Brazil’s judiciary ...

As Gustavo Petro spars with Donald Trump, violence is surging in Colombia ahead of next year’s elections. The attempted assassination of conservative presidential candidate Miguel Uribe in June set off alarm bells all over Latin America. Since ...

As Brazil prepares to host the 2025 BRICS Summit, questions are swirling about the future of the group, as well as China’s growing presence in Latin America. In this episode, we explore the shifting dynamics of global influence with Oliver Stue...

The recent arrests of two prominent critics of El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele have sparked renewed concerns about the country's democratic backsliding. In this episode we discuss the detentions of attorney Ruth López and constitutional la...

On May 20, two top aides to Mexico City Mayor Clara Brugada were shot dead in a rare daytime attack, raising questions about security under Mexico’s new president, Claudia Sheinbaum. Known for her tougher stance on organized crime, Sheinbaum ha...

President Javier Milei has made global headlines with his radical economic reforms and bold rhetoric, earning praise from figures like Donald Trump and Silicon Valley elites. At home, his record is mixed: inflation has dropped dramatically and ...

Just over a year after Bernardo Arévalo’s tense but ultimately successful inauguration as president of Guatemala, his administration faces a complex mix of progress and mounting challenges. Elected on an anti-corruption platform, Arévalo has de...

Cuba is facing its worst crisis in decades, with blackouts and a mass exodus that has seen 20% of the population flee in five years. In this episode, we shed light on everyday life amid ongoing economic hardship, explore the durability of the C...

With Brazil about a year and a half away from the 2026 elections, political dynamics are shifting once again. The economy is growing at 3%, and employment remains high, yet President Lula’s approval rating has dropped to 41%—the lowest of any o...

Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum is enjoying remarkable popularity, garnering over 80% approval, while Mexico navigates shifting demands from U.S. President Donald Trump, economic uncertainty and security concerns. In this episode we delve ...

Organized crime is a persistent and evolving challenge in Latin America. At the moment crime syndicates are seeing unprecedented financial gains, fueled not only by a surge in cocaine production—more than doubling in the past decade, according ...

A month into Donald Trump’s second presidency, Latin America has become a key focus of his administration. From high-stakes negotiations with Mexico to his stated goal of reclaiming the Panama Canal, Trump’s policies have already had concrete c...

As Donald Trump returns to the White House, much focus was expected on Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, and Cuba, but Panama has surprisingly taken center stage, even becoming the site of Marco Rubio’s first trip abroad as Secretary of State. Presi...

Nearly a year ago, Ecuador faced a surge of violence when drug gangs took over a TV station and kidnapped police, marking the country's worst security crisis. Since then, President Daniel Noboa has made modest progress, with homicides down 16%,...