Latin America in Focus

AS/COA Online
  • 4.3 (59)
  • BUSINESS NEWS
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY
Latin America in Focus

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.

  1. NOV 7

    Latin America’s Companies of Tomorrow, Today

    Latin America is known worldwide for its entrepreneurship. With unicorns, new ecosystems, and investments back to pre-pandemic levels, what's the region's secret sauce? Three of the Latin America's most successful business visionaries—Francisco Alvarez-Demalde of Riverwood Capital, Sebastian Mejia of Rappi, and Mariano Gomide de Faria of VTEX—sat down with long-time Americas investor Susan Segal of AS/COA for a conversation about how the region has an edge on creating the companies of tomorrow. In this conversation recorded at the 2024 COA Symposium in Miami this October, they discuss what it takes to build billion-dollar companies, Latin America's promising technology prospects, and the future of the region’s entrepreneurial businesses.

    37 min
  2. What Do Brazil's Municipal Elections Tell About Polarization in Latin America?

    OCT 17

    What Do Brazil's Municipal Elections Tell About Polarization in Latin America?

    Latin America in Focus

    34 min
  3. Could a Referendum Rattle Uruguay's Presidential Race?

    OCT 3

    Could a Referendum Rattle Uruguay's Presidential Race?

    Uruguayans head to the polls on October 27 for what is looking to be a close contest between the incumbent conservative coalition and the leftist Broad Front. But there’s another key player in the race: a constitutional referendum that could reshape the country’s pension system. Nicolás Saldías, a senior analyst for Latin America and the Caribbean at the Economist Intelligence Unit, profiles the major presidential candidates and details what’s on the line economically and politically if the pension reform is approved.

    30 min

  4. SEP 19

    What Brazil’s Twitter Ban Tells Us about Internet Laws in Latin America

    On August 31, users of Twitter/X woke up to a platform devoid of Brazilians. After a protracted fight with CEO Elon Musk, Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered a shutdown of the social media site in his country. Marie Santini, founder of Net Lab, details the timeline that led to the shutdown and how it fits in the Brazil’s larger efforts around Internet regulation. Then, University of Palermo’s Agustina Del Campo gives a regional panorama and explains what’s changing with the approach of countries—and companies—to Internet moderation.

    33 min
  5. LatAm in Focus at 200: What Do We Know about Electoral Trends in the Americas?

    AUG 29

    LatAm in Focus at 200: What Do We Know about Electoral Trends in the Americas?

    Our latest edition of Latin America in Focus marks a major milestone: episode 200. Over the past eight years, we’ve covered a range of topics—and asked a lot of questions, including in our episode titles. For this episode, we decided to revisit three of those questions to see how we would answer them now. Half the world is going to the polls in 2024, so we focus on elections. Americas Quarterly Editor-in-Chief and AS/COA Vice President of Policy Brian Winter tells us why Latin America’s anti-incumbency trend may be coming to a close. Pew Research Center’s Director of Race and Ethnicity Research Mark Hugo Lopez covers how Latino voters view the high-stakes U.S. presidential competition between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. And, AS/COA Online Editor-in-Chief Carin Zissis shares what to watch for in Mexico, where Claudia Sheinbaum is preparing to take the presidential reins in Mexico.

    41 min
  6. On the Ground and Online: Venezuela's Electoral Battle

    JUL 18

    On the Ground and Online: Venezuela's Electoral Battle

    Since he came to power 11 years ago, Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro has been stacking the decks in his political favor. But will he hit a wall in the July 28 election? The regime disqualified popular rival candidate Maria Corina Machado, yet a unified opposition is leading the polls. “[The Maduro government] could try to do a mega fraud, but the political costs, even within the ruling coalition, could be very high,” journalist and political analyst Tony Frangie Mawad tells AS/COA’s Guillermo Zubillaga in an on-the-ground view of the electoral competition. The fight to govern Venezuela is being played out online as well. Mariví Marin Vázquez, founder and executive director of digital observatory ProBox, explains why the country’s voters have turned to social media to get news. She told AS/COA’s Carin Zissis how the regime exploits social media algorithms as it seeks to soften Maduro’s image, even as online tools offer an opportunity for independent news sources and civil society to share information.

    32 min

  7. JUN 26

    How Can Latin America Fix Its Water Crisis?

    Latin America, the biggest source of freshwater in the world, is running dry. Amid record-breaking temperatures, 150 million people live in water-scarce areas and water insecurity is becoming a new normal for many. But solutions exist. World Meteorological Organization’s Rodney Martinez and Acción Andina’s Florent Kaiser cover how Latin American countries can address the region’s water crisis. They talk how science and early warning systems are available for use, that simple solutions can restore water access in dry areas, and how water can be a decisive argument when engaging stakeholders to take action.

    38 min
  8. In Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum Won Big. Now What?

    JUN 6

    In Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum Won Big. Now What?

    Claudia Sheinbaum and her Morena party won Mexico’s June 2 election by a landslide, and that means the country’s first woman president is set to have a huge mandate. What will she do with it? On the ground in Mexico City, AS/COA Online spoke to voters and then three experts on concerns and priorities for Sheinbaum’s sexenio. One question kept coming up: How will Sheinbaum differ from her predecessor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador? Hear from Oscar Ocampo of the Mexican Institute for Competitiveness on energy and climate, Brenda Estefan of IPADE Business School and Reforma on the future of Mexican foreign affairs, and Isaac Morales of FTI Consulting on the country’s cybersecurity policy.

    44 min
See All (205)

4.3
out of 5
59 Ratings

About

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.

Information

  • Creator
    AS/COA Online
  • Years Active
    2016 - 2024
  • Episodes
    205
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © All rights reserved
  • Show Website
    Latin America in Focus

You Might Also Like

To listen to explicit episodes, sign in.

Stay up to date with this show

Sign in or sign up to follow shows, save episodes, and get the latest updates.
Select a country or region

Africa, Middle East, and India

Asia Pacific

Europe

Latin America and the Caribbean

The United States and Canada