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The Modern Mexico PodcastEpisode 27: Agave Armageddon: Mexico's Mezcal & Tequila BoomOn this episode of THE MODERN MEXICO PODCAST host Nathaniel Parish Flannery talks to agave spirits expert and author David Suro about Mexico’s booming mezcal and tequila industry.
Mezcal is an absolutely fascinating product. It connects some of the most isolated, rural, mountain communities in southern Mexico with consumers in the most sophisticated urban bars and restaurants in the world.
There are some parallels with single origin organic coffee in that respect but within the world of spirits, mezcal is pretty unique.
Whereas some premium spirits such as high end vodka have garnered attention largely through successful marketing mezcal is...2025-07-221h 09The Modern Mexico PodcastEpisode 26: Organized Crime Groups Are Threatening Tortilla-makers In Morelos, MexicoMexico’s tortilla industry is under threat from organized crime. In the state of Morelos, just outside Mexico City, tortilla-makers are complaining about local organized crime groups threatening and extorting them.
More broadly, politicians and police are struggling to deal with a splintering roster of organized crime groups that are diversifying away from drug trafficking into a variety of new rackets including extorting local business owners, hijacking cargo trucks, and stealing lumber.
One of the biggest challenges Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum will face is whether or not she can improve security and reduce violent crime in places such as More...2025-05-1138 minThe Modern Mexico PodcastEpisode 25: Assessing President Sheinbaum's Security PoliciesOn this episode of the podcast, host Nathaniel Parish Flannery speaks to Will Freeman, a Latin America expert from the Council on Foreign Relations.
Freeman says he would give President Claudia Sheinbaum's security plan a "C" or "D."
He explains that he thinks Sheinbaum's policies are an improvement over the strategies implemented by former presidents Enrique Peña Nieto and Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.
He also talks about his recent trip to the state of Tabasco, his assessment of Donald Trump's statements about corruption and organized crime in Mexico, and gives a suggestion for how President Sheinbaum can tackle the p...2025-03-1842 minThe Modern Mexico PodcastEpisode 24: How Vulnerable Is Mexico To Trump's Tariff Threats?An intelligent and in-depth discussion of Trump's 2025 tariff threats and what they mean for Mexico's economy.
On this episode of the podcast, host Nathaniel Parish Flannery speaks to Diego Marroquin Bitar, a North America researcher at the Wilson Center, a Washington DC-based think tank.
Diego says that Trump's 25% tariffs, implemented on March 4, 2025, represent a "red light" level of risk for foreign investors considering making investments in Mexico.
He also explains why Mexico's economy is so vulnerable to Trump's bullying.
Exports account for over a third of Mexico’s GDP and over 80 percent of Mexico’s exports go to the US. On t...2025-03-0440 min
The Modern Mexico PodcastEpisode 23: Has El Mayo's Arrest Sparked A New Cartel War In Mexico?On this episode of THE MODERN MEXICO PODCAST, host Nathaniel Parish Flannery speaks to historian Benjamin Smith (author of the book THE DOPE: THE REAL HISTORY OF THE MEXICAN DRUG TRADE) about the impact of the arrest of Sinaloa Cartel kingpin Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada.
“El Mayo has had a very long history of almost five decades in the drug business. He started in the 1970s. He became a major exporter of cocaine. However, over the last decade or so El Mayo’s importance has... been as a key mediator between the Sinaloa Cartel and the federal and state government. He’s...2024-09-2632 minThe Modern Mexico PodcastEpisode 22: Coffee & Organized Crime In Chiapas, MexicoOn this episode of the MODERN MEXICO PODCAST, host Nathaniel Parish Flannery speaks to journalist Ioan Grillo about the evolving dynamics of organized crime in Chiapas, Mexico.
Recent events in Chiapas raise questions about what the government can do as powerful organized crime groups move into the state and local criminals adopt increasingly violent tactics.
Over 98% of the murders recorded in Chiapas go unsolved.
Grillo describes the current dynamic in Chiapas as "oppressive," "fractured," and "worsening."
Chiapas has for centuries been a state where the federal government in Mexico City has struggled to exert control. Over the last thirty years...2024-06-1841 minThe Modern Mexico PodcastEpisode 21: Is Mexico The Deadliest Country In The World For Journalists?On this episode of the podcast, host Nathaniel Parish Flannery talks to Katherine Corcoran, the former Associated Press Bureau Chief for Mexico, and the author of a fantastic new book called IN THE MOUTH OF THE WOLF: A MURDER, A COVER-UP, AND THE TRUE COST OF SILENCING THE PRESS.
Corcoran’s engaging book delves into investigating the murder of Regina Martinez, a high-profile journalist who covered the topic of political corruption in the Gulf Coast state of Veracruz, Mexico.
Over the last 12 years, Veracruz stands out as BY FAR the most dangerous state in Mexico for journalists.
The dynamics covered in...2024-05-0339 minThe Modern Mexico PodcastEpisode 20: What Is El Chapo's Legacy In Sinaloa, Mexico?On this episode of THE MODERN MEXICO PODCAST host Nathaniel Parish Flannery talks to Noah Hurowitz, author of the book EL CHAPO: THE UNTOLD STORY OF THE WORLD'S MOST INFAMOUS DRUG LORD.
"El Chapo could operate without any true fear of being captured. This undercuts the way El Chapo is seen in popular media. He [is] often likened to outlaw figures [such as] Robin Hood. But, I don’t know how accurate that is because the role of someone like El Chapo was not some cops and robbers dynamic. The drug trade and the modern Mexican state developed together and in...2024-03-2656 minThe Modern Mexico PodcastEpisode 19: Are Security Problems In Tijuana Scaring Away Nearshoring Investors?On this episode of THE MODERN MEXICO PODCAST host Nathaniel Parish Flannery talks to Laura Calderon, the Executive Director of Justice in Mexico, a San Diego-based think tank.
In spite of persistently high levels of organized crime-related violence, Tijuana has become one of Mexico’s success stories when it comes to "nearshoring" investment.
The city has a thriving industrial sector that employs over a quarter of a million people.
Between 2016 and 2022 foreign aerospace, automotive, and electronics companies invested over 11 billion dollars in the state of Baja California where Tijuana is located.
Over 2,500 cargo trucks cross the border to the U.S...2024-02-1335 minThe Modern Mexico PodcastEpisode 18: Will Acapulco Recover After Hurricane Otis?On this episode of THE MODERN MEXICO PODCAST host Nathaniel Parish Flannery talks to James Frederich, a veteran Mexico correspondent who traveled to the beach city Acapulco to report on the storm damage caused by Hurricane Otis.
While 200 mile per hour gusts of wind buffeted the city, residents and hotel guests cowered inside.
Nearly 250,000 homes were damaged and many beachfront hotels were almost totally destroyed.
Initial estimates calculated that over 80% of the city’s 20,000 hotel rooms had been damaged and that the bill for reconstruction would top sixteen billion dollars.
Mexico’s president, a polarizing populist named Andres Manuel Lopez Obra...2023-12-1438 min
The Modern Mexico PodcastEpisode 17: Chef Lalo Garcia & Mexico City's Cultural AscendanceOn this episode of the Modern Mexico Podcast host Nathaniel Parish Flannery talks to Laura Tillman about her new book, THE MIGRANT CHEF: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF LALO GARCIA.
Lalo Garcia is one of Mexico's most celebrated chefs. His flagship restaurant Maximo Bistrot has helped to burnish Mexico's reputation as a culinary superpower.
Laura gives a detailed overview of her work writing about Lalo's impact on Modern Mexico's gastronomy and soft power standing in the world.
Asked about her favorite dish she has seen Lalo prepare, she says, “One that comes to mind that I watched him make is ba...2023-11-2424 minThe Modern Mexico PodcastEpisode 16: Militarization in MexicoOn this episode of the MODERN MEXICO PODCAST, host Nathaniel Parish Flannery talks to Stephanie Brewer, a Mexico-focused security expert at the Washington Office on Latin America.
When he was an aspiring presidential candidate, Mexico's current president, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador demanded justice in the case of 43 missing students from Guerrero and criticized the rampant impunity that has long protected the politically powerful in Mexico.
Lopez Obrador once promised that if elected he would order the army to return to the barracks. As president, however, he has embraced Mexico’s armed forces to a degree that is unprecedented in Modern Me...2023-10-2435 min
The Modern Mexico PodcastEpisode 15: ¡POPULISTA! Does Mexico's President Want To Be Latin America's Next Strongman?On the latest episode of the MODERN MEXICO PODCAST, host Nathaniel Parish Flannery talks to veteran BBC correspondent Will Grant about his new book, ¡POPULISTA! THE RISE OF LATIN AMERICA'S 21ST CENTURY STRONGMAN.
During the conversation, Parish Flannery and Grant discuss the differences between populism and authoritarianism and compare and contrast Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) with Venezuela's Hugo Chavez, Bolivia's Evo Morales, Ecuador's Rafael Correa, and other modern authoritarian leaders in Latin America.
Grant says that one of the leaders that he thinks is most similar to Lopez Obrador is Rafael Correa.
"What I see [as a] s...2023-09-261h 00The Modern Mexico PodcastEpisode 14: Indigenous Vanilla Growers & Organized Crime in Veracruz, MexicoOn this episode of the MODERN MEXICO PODCAST, host Nathaniel Parish Flannery talks to Steve Woodman, a Mexico-based organized crime researcher at Advanced Intelligence Solutions, about the long history of vanilla production in the state of Veracruz, Mexico by Totonaco indigenous residents. Nathaniel talks about his recent visit to Veracruz where he met with indigenous vanilla growers and learned about the problems the sector faces today. One grower gave a tip for staying safe: "Always carry a shotgun." Veracruz is a hotspot for organized crime activity and vanilla growers in the state struggle to deal with thefts of their crops...2023-08-3040 minThe Modern Mexico PodcastEpisode 13: The History Of The Mexican-American WarOn this episode of the MODERN MEXICO PODCAST, host Nathaniel Parish Flannery speaks to historian Peter Guardino about the Mexican American War, a conflict that saw U.S. soldiers invade Mexico City and force Mexico to sell the U.S. a significant chunk of its northern terrain.
Today, border cities such as El Paso and Juarez, Tijuana and San Diego have emerged as major population hubs, home to millions of residents and thousands of businesses that benefit from cross-border trade.
But, at the outbreak of the Mexican-American War, much of the western swathe of the modern-day border zone was inhabited...2023-06-2036 minThe Modern Mexico PodcastEpisode 12: Can Mexico Become A Solar Energy Super Power?On this episode of the MODERN MEXICO PODCAST, host Nathaniel Parish Flannery talks about Mexico's solar energy sector with Diego Rivera Rivota, a Research Associate at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University.
Mexico is one of the best potential locations for solar energy generation in the world—it has great sun with minimal seasonal variability. Overall, Mexico is well-positioned to produce competitively priced solar-generated electricity.
Over the last decade, Mexico has successfully attracted billions of dollars in new investment in solar energy. Over the last few years, Mexico's wind and solar energy production, as a share of to...2023-05-1828 min
The Modern Mexico PodcastEpisode 11: Avocados & Organized Crime in Michoacan, MexicoIn this episode of the MODERN MEXICO PODCAST host Nathaniel Parish Flannery talks to Falko Ernst, a Mexico analyst at the International Crisis Group about the dynamics of organized crime in Michoacan, Mexico. The discussion examines the connections between Mexico's multi-billion dollar avocado sector and the violence that has killed over 10,000 people in Michoacan during the presidency of Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. Falko gives Lopez Obrador a "D-" grade for his security policies in Michoacan.
Nathaniel talks about his field work investigating the role of organized crime in the avocado sector in Tancitaro, Michoacan, which was published in his book...2023-04-1040 min
The Modern Mexico PodcastEpisode 10: Is Mexico a narco state or an emerging nearshoring juggernaut?In this episode of the MODERN MEXICO PODCAST host Nathaniel Parish Flannery talks to Ryan Berg, the Americas Director at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington D.C.-based think tank about the divergent narratives about Mexico's trajectory. Political analysts such as Ian Bremmer laud Mexico as an emerging industrial powerhouse, while many Republican politicians are calling Mexico a narco-state. Ryan says he thinks that nearshoring is happening "in spite of" Mexico's President Lopez Obrador and not because of him. He gives Lopez Obrador a C- for his nearshoring promotion policies. He also warns that violent cargo...2023-03-1431 min
The Modern Mexico PodcastEpisode 9: What are the biggest risks affecting Mexico's mining sector?In this episode of The Modern Mexico Podcast, host Nathaniel Parish Flannery talks to Douglas Coleman, the CEO of the Mexican Mining Center, about the risks affecting Mexico's mining sector. Coleman says that while companies are still exploring, new investment is slowing. He describes President Lopez Obrador's attitude towards the mining sector as "distrustful, antagonistic, and uninformed." Overall, he gives Lopez Obrador a "C-" for the quality of his mining sector policies. Coleman says that the most complicated issue for mining companies in Mexico to manage is relations with local indigenous groups. Coleman also discusses the impact organized crime groups...2023-01-2630 minThe Modern Mexico PodcastEpisode 8: How Maximilian's failed empire helps us understand Modern MexicoOn this episode of th Modern Mexico Podcast host Nathaniel Parish Flannery talks to historian Edward Shawcross about his new book, THE LAST EMPEROR OF MEXICO. Shawcross's book tells the story of an ambitious and somewhat delusional Austrian archduke named Maximilian von Hapsburg who set sail for Mexico with plans to invade and install himself as an enlightened despot in the mid 1860s. The history of Maximilian, an ambitious but flawed leader who had progressive ideals but embraced authoritarian tactics, can help us understand contemporary politics in Mexico. Shawcross discusses the similarities and differences between Maximilian and Mexico's current president...2022-12-1434 min
The Modern Mexico PodcastEpisode 7: Has the world forgotten the Aztec history of the Thanksgiving turkey?Host Nathaniel Parish Flannery talks to David Lida, author of the book "First Stop In The New World: Mexico City, The Capital of The 21st Century," about the turkey's path from Mexico to Europe, and back to the U.S. Is Mexico given enough credit for being the country that introduced turkey to the world? Most people in the U.S. don't realize that the turkey they eat on Thanksgiving has its roots in Mexico and is descended from birds raised by Aztecs. Nathaniel and David also discuss the best restaurants in Mexico City for eating turkey and the best...2022-11-1727 minThe Modern Mexico PodcastEpisode 6: Mexico's Human Rights CrisisHost Nathaniel Parish Flannery talks to Human Rights Watch Mexico Researcher Tyler Mattiace about why Mexico is now the most dangerous country in the world for journalists and human rights activists.
Mattiace explains, "Mexico consistently ranks as one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists, usually it’s on par with countries where there is a war: Ukraine, Afghanistan. It’s also one of the top most dangerous places for human rights defenders and human rights activists.”
Asked to give President Lopez Obrador a grade for his approach to human rights, Mattiace says, "his worldview doesn’t center a...2022-10-2742 minThe Modern Mexico PodcastEpisode 5: Why Is Mexico's Security Strategy Failing?In this episode of the Modern Mexico Podcast, host Nathaniel Parish Flannery speaks to Brookings Institution senior fellow Vanda Felbab-Brown about security issues in Mexico and why President Lopez Obrador is failing to meaningfully address the country's historically high murder rate. Mexico has soldiers in the streets but no meaningful law enforcement strategy for addressing violent crime.
“There is no law enforcement strategy other than sending forces to stand in the streets and more or less do nothing. That’s really disastrous, the violence has become brazen. The level of homicides is very intense, similar to what a country in an i...2022-09-2838 min
The Modern Mexico PodcastEpisode 4: How Nayarit's History Helps Us Understand Modern MexicoIn this episode of the Modern Mexico Podcast, host Nathaniel Parish Flannery speaks to Mexico historian Nathaniel Morris about his new book SOLDIERS, SAINTS AND SHAMANS: INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES AND THE REVOLUTIONARY STATE IN MEXICO'S GRAN NAYAR.
Morris says of President AMLO, "I’d give him…a B+ for presentation. He talks the talk. But, he’s getting a D for me when it comes to actual implementation of genuinely positive change at least in the communities I’ve been working in. It’s a lot of hot air."2021-12-1641 min
The Modern Mexico PodcastEpisode 3: DAY OF THE DEAD and Indigenous Identity in MexicoIn the third episode of the Modern Mexico Podcast, host Nathaniel Parish Flannery speaks to Mexico historian AS Dillingham about Day of the Dead and indigenous identity in Mexico. Dillingham's new book OAXACA RESURGENT: INDIGENEITY, DEVELOPMENT, AND INEQUALITY IN TWENTIETH-CENTURY MEXICO is about public schools, indigenous groups, and teachers unions in Oaxaca, Mexico. Dillingham explains that President "AMLO’s relationship to indigenous communities could be described as rhetorical, paternalistic and folkloric. I think he stands in a long tradition of Mexican politicians who don indigenous dress or make superficial references to indigenous communities while doing little to respectfully engage with th...2021-11-021h 05The Modern Mexico PodcastEpisode 2: The CFR's Shannon O'Neil Explains Mexico's Current Economic CrisisMEXICO'S ECONOMY: In the second episode of the Modern Mexico Podcast, host Nathaniel Parish Flannery speaks to the Council on Foreign Relations' Mexico expert, Shannon O'Neil, about Mexico's economy. Shannon shares her pessimism about Mexico's President Lopez Obrador's economic management and explains why she gives him an "F" for his economic stewardship. “I’m less impressed than with the overall macroeconomics, it’s not a C it’s closer to failing. Let me lay me lay out why the grade is so bad. What has allowed Mexico to grow has been…growth and expansion of the private sector. The policy choices of...2021-10-071h 11The Modern Mexico PodcastTHE MODERN MEXICO PODCAST: Historian Ben Smith: Are Mexico's Cartels Winning The War On Drugs?On this episode host Nathaniel Parish Flannery talks to Mexico historian Benjamin T. Smith about his new book, THE DOPE: THE REAL HISTORY OF THE MEXICAN DRUG TRADE. During the discussion we talk about Mexico's narco history, the patterns that have emerged over decades, and the political power structures in Mexico that allow organized crime groups to operate. We also discuss President Andres Manuel Lopez Obador's security strategy and why he is struggling to reduce violence and crime in Mexico. Smith thinks that Lopez Obrador is trying to re-establish the same mutually beneficial relationships that Mexico's federal government maintained with...2021-09-2354 min
The Americas Quarterly PodcastThe Coronavirus' Economic Toll on Latin AmericaThe coronavirus has sent a devastating shock throughout the global economy. How vulnerable is Latin America? Which countries are best prepared to handle it? AQ's Editor-in-chief Brian Winter discusses the region’s response with the Council on Foreign Relations' Shannon O'Neil. Background reading:1) "Latin America, With Few Bullets to Spare," by Eduardo Levy Yeyati (shorturl.at/HKNV0)2) "Latin America 'Needs Fiscal Stimulus Today,' Mauricio Cárdenas Says," by Leonie Rauls (shorturl.at/FTW04) 3) "Is Mexico Prepared to Confront Coronavirus?" by Nathaniel Parish Flannery (shorturl.at/ADGJ9)2020-03-1925 min