Plaza Central, a podcast from the Wilson Center’s Latin American Program, keeps you informed about Latin America’s most pressing political, economic, and social developments through interviews with leading experts and policymakers.
The Argentina Project Podcast is led by host Benjamin Gedan, the Latin American Program’s Deputy Director and former South America Director on the National Security Council at the White House. Each episode features dialogue and exchange with leading experts on Argentine affairs, posing pivotal questions while analyzing the country’s present and future.
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Empoderando a las mujeres del norte del Cauca
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En este episodio de Plaza Central, Beatriz García Nice plática con Clemencia Carabalí, fundadora de la Asociación de Mujeres Afrodescendientes del Norte del Cauca (ASOM), sobre las dificultades que atraviesan las mujeres afrodescendientes en el norte del Cauca, Colombia, a causa de la violencia, el racismo y el deterioro ambiental. También charlan …
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What Does Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine Mean for Latin America?
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In this episode of Plaza Central, host Benjamin Gedan speaks with Charles Seville, senior director and co-head of Americas Sovereign Ratings at Fitch Ratings, about the economic impacts in Latin America of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
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Taiwan’s ‘Medical Diplomacy’ in Latin America
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In this episode of Plaza Central, Benjamin Gedan speaks with Ian Chen, an associate professor at the Institute of Political Science at Taiwan’s National Sun Yat-sen University, to discuss the rivalry between China and Taiwan, why Taiwan is so invested in preserving diplomatic ties in Latin America, and how China wields “medical diplomacy” to pressu…
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The Alliance for Development in Democracy
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In this special presentation of Plaza Central, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Panama Erika Mouynes, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Costa Rica Rodolfo Solano, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Dominican Republic Roberto Álvarez, and the Wilson Center's Cynthia Arnson discuss the Alliance for Development in Democracy, an initiative to pr…
En este episodio de Plaza Central, Beatriz García Nice platica con el Secretario de Estado para Iberoamérica y el Caribe y el Español en el Mundo del Gobierno de España, el Embajador Juan Fernández Trigo, sobre el posicionamiento de España como un gran aliado en la donación de vacunas a países hispanohablantes, el estado de las relaciones entre Esp…
In this episode of "Two the Point," Benjamin Gedan speaks with Liliana Ayalde, former U.S. ambassador to Brazil and former civilian deputy to the commander and foreign policy adviser at the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM). They discuss the confirmation of Lieutenant General Laura Richardson as the next commander of the U.S. Southern Command, the f…
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El retorno de la justicia: El caso de Gloria Porras
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En este episodio de “Two the Point,” Beatriz García Nice del Programa Latinoamericano charla con Gloria Porras, Magistrada Electa de la Corte de Constitucionalidad de Guatemala. En la conversación discutieron su salida de Guatemala cuando se le negó tomar posesión de su tercer periodo como Magistrada Titular, el estado de derecho, la lucha contra l…
Guest host Nicolás Saldías, a Latin America analyst at the Economist Intelligence Unit, sits down with Esteban Paulón, executive director of Argentina’s Instituto de Políticas Públicas LGBT+, to discuss Argentina’s recently approved transgender labor law and the impacts of COVID-19 on Latin America’s LGBTQ+ community.…
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Panama’s Pandemic Diplomacy: A Conversation with Foreign Minister Erika Mouynes
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Host Benjamin Gedan is joined by Erika Mouynes, Panama’s foreign minister, to discuss challenges including climate change, migration from Colombia and navigating tensions between the United States and China, Panama’s most critical economic partners.
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Pandemic Recovery in Latin America: From Vaccine Access to the Digital Divide
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Cynthia Arnson, the Latin American Program Director, is joined by Luis Felipe López-Calva, UN Assistant Secretary General and UNDP Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, to discuss the pre-existing structural inequalities exacerbated by COVID-19 and the need to address these underlying issues to secure region-wide recovery.…
In part two of this special conversation, former U.S. Ambassador to Argentina Noah Mamet hosts his successor, Edward Prado, who served as ambassador in Buenos Aires until this past January, to discuss where the relationship between the United States and Argentina stands today, and where it is headed.…
In part one of this special conversation, former U.S. Ambassador to Argentina Noah Mamet hosts his successor, Edward Prado, who served as ambassador in Buenos Aires until this past January, to discuss their experiences representing very different U.S. presidents and interacting with very different Argentine governments.…
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Chile’s Foreign Policy Priorities: A Conversation with Foreign Minister Andrés Allamand
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Cynthia Arnson, the Latin American Program Director, hosts Andrés Allamand, the Foreign Minister of Chile, to discuss what the region expect from the Biden administration, the prospects for a peaceful democratic transition in Venezuela, and the forthcoming election to select the members of the Constitutional Convention that will draft Chile’s new c…
Former U.S. Ambassador to Honduras Hugo Llorens joins host Benjamin Gedan to analyze the parallels between the 2009 coupin Honduras and the recent coup d’état in Myanmar, which has presented the first foreign policy challenge for the Biden administration. Ambassador Llorens, who served in Tegucigalpa during the coup and its aftermath, discusses the…
Cynthia Arnson, the Latin American Program Director, hosts Ricardo Zúñiga, Senior Diplomatic Fellow and the Brazil Institute Interim Director at the Wilson Center, to discuss the complex push and pull factors that drive Central Americans to migrate to the United States, the first migrant caravans of 2021, and the Biden administration’s plans for Ce…
Host Benjamin Gedan is joined by Nicolás Saldías, a Latin America analyst at the Economist Intelligence Unit, to discuss the legacy of the late former president of Uruguay Tabaré Vázquez and how a mild mannered doctor quietly transformed Uruguayan politics. Read “Farewell to an Unassuming Star of Latin America’s Left” by Nicolás Saldías: https://ww…
Host Benjamin Gedan is joined by Daniel Politi, a contributor to The New York Times based in Buenos Aires, to discuss Argentina’s historic vote in December legalizing abortion, how pro-choice campaigners pulled it off just two years after lawmakers rejected similar legislation and whether activists can replicate their success elsewhere in the regio…
In this special episode of “Two the Point,” Lucio Castro, a Wilson Center Global Fellow, hosts Andrés Velasco, Dean of the School of Public Policy at the London School of Economics and Political Science and a former Finance Minister in Chile, to discuss education, inequality, and populism in post-pandemic Latin America.…
In this special episode of “Two the Point,” Lucio Castro, a Wilson Center global fellow, hosts Nora Lustig, professor of Latin American economics and founding director of Tulane University’s Commitment to Equity Institute, to discuss the role of social policy in Latin America’s post-pandemic economic recovery and in mitigating increasing poverty.…
Host Benjamin Gedan is joined by Thomaz Favaro, director for the Southern Cone at Control Risks, to discuss Walmart’s exit from Argentina and what it says about the country’s turbulent business climate.
In this special episode of “Two the Point,” Lucio Castro, a Wilson Center global fellow, hosts Piero Ghezzi, an economist and former production minister of Peru, to discuss Latin America’s post-pandemic growth challenges and the chronic struggle in Peru to address labor informality.
In this episode of “Two the Point,” host Benjamin Gedan is joined by Patricia Vásquez, an independent energy expert and author of a new Latin American Program report, “The Lithium Triangle: The Case for Post-Pandemic Optimism,” to discuss the development opportunities and challenges for South America’s strategic lithium sector.…
In this episode of “Two The Point,” the Wilson Center’s Beatriz García Nice remembers the influence of “Quino,” the late Argentine cartoonist, and his beloved character Mafalda, on the Spanish-speaking world, and on her family.
Cynthia Arnson, the Latin American Program Director, hosts Juan Sebastián Roldán, Ecuador’s Chief of Staff, to discuss the country’s recent agreement with the IMF, the role of the Galápagos Islands in economic development, and President Lenín Moreno’s democratic reforms.
Host Benjamin Gedan is joined by María Baron, Global Executive Director at Fundación Directorio Legislativo, to discuss the disappearing act by Latin America’s legislatures during the COVID-19 crisis.
Host Benjamin Gedan is joined by Peter Cerda, regional director for the Americas at the International Air Transport Association, to discuss the catastrophic impacts of COVID-19 on Latin America’s airlines, the responses by governments and the future of air travel in this region.
Host Benjamin Gedan speaks with Anya Prusa, senior associate at the Wilson Center’s Brazil Institute, about Brazil’s COVID-19 crisis and its spillovers on neighboring countries.
Host Benjamin Gedan is joined by Sabina Frederic, Argentina's security minister, to discuss the role of the armed forces in domestic security, and whether rising unemployment and poverty could increase crime, especially after the coronavirus quarantine ends.
Host Benjamin Gedan is joined by Sabina Frederic, Argentina's security minister, to discuss the new government's security strategies and its approach to drug policy.
Host Benjamin Gedan is joined by Daniel Zovatto, Director for Latin America and the Caribbean at the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, to discuss how the coronavirus has impacted and could continue to impact elections, democracy and civil liberties across Latin America.
Host Benjamin Gedan is joined by Fernando Straface, the chief of staff to the major of Buenos Aires, to discuss the impacts of COVID-19 in Argentina’s capital, relations between the mayor, who is the leading opposition figure, and Argentina’s Peronist president, and the city’s prospects for post-pandemic recovery.…
Cynthia Arnson, the Latin American Program Director, hosts Hari Seshasayee, one of India’s foremost analysts of Latin America, to discuss India’s increasing exports to the region, India’s interest in Latin America’s Lithium Triangle, and the significance of China in India’s relationship with the region.…
Host Benjamin Gedan is joined by David Smith, The Economist’s Argentina correspondent, to discuss the relationship between Mendoza, Argentina’s famed winegrowing province, with the national government, which has become so strained some Mendocinos are calling for a #MendoExit.
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Update Venezuela: Maduro Tightens His Grip
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Cynthia Arnson, the Latin American Program Director, hosts Wilson Center’s Global Fellow and IESA Professor Michael Penfold to discuss Venezuela’s authoritarian crisis and the U.S. policy response.
Host Benjamin Gedan is joined by Ginés González García, the health minister of Argentina, to discuss the country’s COVID-19 response, potential post-pandemic health reforms and the challenges of its shared border with Brazil.
Host Benjamin Gedan is joined by Matías Kulfas, the minister of productive development of Argentina, to discuss the outlook for Argentina’s energy sector, the future of Mercosur and the challenges faced by Argentina’s low-cost carriers.
Host Benjamin Gedan is joined by Matías Kulfas, the minister of productive development of Argentina, to discuss the new government’s plan to boost economic growth and the implications of the nationalization of soybean processor Vicentin.
Host Benjamin Gedan is joined by Felipe Solá, the foreign minister of Argentina, to discuss Argentina's relationship with Brazil, and the diplomatic challenge of deepening ties to China while maintaining a strong relationship with the United States.
Host Benjamin Gedan is joined by Felipe Solá, the foreign minister of Argentina, to discuss U.S.-Argentina relations, the future of Mercosur and Argentina’s approach to international trade.
Host Benjamin Gedan is joined by Kezia McKeague, the Southern Cone and Brazil team’s director at McLarty Associates, who shares on-the-ground observations from Buenos Aires on the economic and political consequences of the strict public health measures the Argentine government has adopted to halt the spread of COVID-19.…
Host Benjamin Gedan is joined by Todd Martinez, Fitch Ratings’s lead Argentina analyst, to discuss Argentina’s high-stakes efforts to restructure its foreign debt and avoid default.
Host Benjamin Gedan is joined by phone from Buenos Aires by Agustino Fontevecchia, digital director of Perfil, one of the leading news companies in Argentina, and executive director of the English-language Buenos Aires Times, to discuss tensions between the Argentine press and the Cristina Fernández de Kirchner government, and expectations for the …
Host Benjamin Gedan is joined by Duncan Wood, director of the Wilson Center’s Mexico Institute, to discuss Alberto Fernández’s Mexico City jaunt, his first international trip as Argentina’s president-elect.
Host Benjamin Gedan is joined by Sarah Nielson, an Argentina Project researcher at the Wilson Center and former reporter for the Bubble, an English-language media company in Argentina, to discuss Alberto Fernández’s dog and how young Argentines are shaping the political landscape.
Today’s episode features highlights from “Adelante or Déjà vu?”, our recent seminar on Argentina’s presidential election, co-hosted by the John Hopkins SAIS. La Nación’s Rafael Mathus moderated the panel, featuring our host, Benjamin Gedan; Monica de Bolle, a Johns Hopkins professor and board member of the Wilson Center’s Latin American Program; an…
Host Benjamin Gedan is joined by phone from Buenos Aires by Demian Bio, who is covering Argentina's presidential election for the leading online Argentine news site, Infobae. They discuss the return of the Peronists, and why the election showed off Argentina’s maturing democracy.
Host Benjamin Gedan is joined by Nicolás Saldías, a senior researcher at the Wilson Center’s Argentina Project, to discuss how Argentina’s powerful unions and restive social movements could complicate life for whoever wins Argentina’s presidential election.
Host Benjamin Gedan speaks to David Smith, a foreign correspondent for The Economist, former senior UN diplomat and special contributor to the Wilson Center’s Argentina Project, to discuss President Mauricio Macri’s surprisingly energetic, albeit quixotic, campaign to win reelection.
Benjamin Gedan is joined by phone from Buenos Aires by Bloomberg reporter Patrick Gillespie to discuss Patrick’s recent article on Argentina’s collapsing real estate market and the implications for Argentina’s sputtering construction industry. Read Patrick’s article here, https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-10-01/capital-controls-sky-high-…
Host Benjamin Gedan is joined by Kristie Pellecchia, OPIC’s senior adviser for Latin America, to discuss her high-profile trip to Argentina, Paraguay and Colombia; OPIC’s support for female entrepreneurs; and OPIC’s strategy for drawing U.S. investment to a region in the face of rising Chinese engagement.…