Shows
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanEcuador's Presidential Election heads to a Second Round in OctoberEPISODE: Ecuador’s Presidential Election heads to a Second Round in OctoberGUEST: Pilar TroyaPilar is an Ecuadorian feminist anthropologist. Her main areas of interest are social public policies, especially concerning gender equality and the feminist movement. She has served as an advisor to the Ministry of National Planning and as an advisor and Deputy Minister to the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology of Ecuador. She is a researcher at Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research.BACKGROUND:Luisa González, of the Movimiento Revolución Ciudadana party, on Sunday took a...
2023-08-2550 min
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanNicaragua: A History of U.S. Intervention & ResistanceEPISODE:Nicaragua, A History of US Intervention & ResistanceGUEST: Author, Activist and Labor Attorney, Daniel KovalikBACKGROUND: The latest book by labor and human rights attorney, Daniel Kovalik, Nicaragua: A History of US Intervention & Resistance (2023, Clarity Press, 292 pages), is a worthy addition to the author’s collection of works on countries targeted by U.S. imperialism, such as Venezuela, Russia, and Iran. While giving readers a thoughtful and much fuller picture than one can glean from the corporate media, this volume tells an engaging tale based on personal experience and extensive resea...
2023-07-2848 min
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanSandinistas Speak, Nicaraguans Defend Their RevolutionEPISODE:Sandinistas Speak. Nicaraguans Defend their RevolutionThis episode is bi-lingual with subtitles.PRODUCER and HOST: Ramiro Sebastian FunezFriday, June 30, WTF returned to Managua, Nicaragua to do follow-up study of Caribbean Coast government funded infrastructure projects and to celebrate the 44th Anniversary of the Sandinista Revolution on July 19. While on assignment, each week we will share with you segments of the documentary Nicaragua Against Empire. The film journals our March 2021 Sanctions Kill / Friends of the ATC, Nicaragua delegationIn this episode, you hear directly from working-class Nicaraguans who...
2023-07-1431 min
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanNicaragua against Empire: Part II Managua against EmpireEPISODE: Nicaragua against Empire - Part II Managua Against Empire, an inside look at Managua, Nicaragua, from a revolutionary socialist perspective.PRODUCER and HOST: Ramiro Sebastian FunezFriday, June 30, WTF returned to Managua, Nicaragua to do follow-up study of Caribbean Coast government funded infrastructure projects and to celebrate the 44th Annivesrary of the Sandinista Revolution on July 19. While on assignment, each week we will share with you segments of the documentary Nicaragua Against Empire. The film journals our March 2021 Sanctions Kill / Friends of the ATC, Nicaragua delegation. From film producer and delegate Ramiro Sebastian Funez:...
2023-07-0733 min
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanMexico: Expanding Democracy and Defending SovereigntyEPISODE: Mexico: Expanding Democracy and Defending SovereigntyGUEST: José Luis Granados Ceja, journalist with Venezuelanalysis and The Mexico Solidarity ProjectBACKGROUND: The international press is again bludgeoning Mexican president Andrés Manuel López Obrador, this time accusing him of attacking the country’s democratic institutions. It’s a baseless charge intended to undermine a government that refuses total obedience to US hegemony.On February 23, an electoral reform bill received its final approval in the Mexican Senate en route to being signed into lawThe National Electoral Institute (INE) is widely r...
2023-06-301h 12
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanAlex Saab: Three Years as a Kidnapped DiplomatEPISODE: Alex Saab, Three Years as a Kidnapped DiplomatGUEST: Fiorella Isabel of The Convo CouchBACKGROUND:The case is a terrifying example of the US’s continuing commitment to illegal, unilateral intervention and ‘regime change,’ where no country is truly safe, writes FRANCISCO DOMINGUEZ (link to full article below)From his article: “June 12, 2023 was the third anniversary of the illegal kidnapping and imprisonment by the US of Alex Saab.Because the brutality and cruelty of the US blockade was wreaking havoc on the economy and millions of the most vulner...
2023-06-2342 min
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanMexico's Secretary of Foreign Affairs Resigns to Run for PresidentEPISODE: Mexico’s Secretary of Foreign Affairs Resigns to Run for PresidentGUEST: Independent journalist Alina Duarte who joins us from Mexico CityBACKGROUND:Mexican Secretary of Foreign Relations, Marcelo Ebrard, one of the leading contenders to be the country's next leader, said on Tuesday he will resign to focus on winning the presidential nomination of the ruling MORENA party for the 2024 election.Ebrard, a former mayor of Mexico City, wants to succeed President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador as the standard-bearer of the left of center National Regeneration Movement (MORENA), which now...
2023-06-0954 min
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanIsolationisam Ends; Maduro Visits BrazilEPISODE: Isolationism Ends: Maduro Visits BrazilGUEST: Ricardo Vaz, political analyst and editor at Venezuelanalysis.comBACKGROUND: Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro traveled to Brazil as part of an official visit to meet with his counterpart Luiz Inácio “Lula” da Silva where the pair discussed regional and international cooperation, including the potential entry of Venezuela into the BRICS bloc.The high-level meeting comes as part of joint efforts to strengthen their bilateral ties following the restoration of diplomatic and economic relations after years of tension under Lula’s predecessor Jair Bolsonaro, who embraced Was...
2023-06-0254 min
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanEcuador's President Dissolves National Assembly Triggering Early ElectionsEPISODE: Ecuador’s President Dissolves National Assembly Triggering Early ElectionsGUEST: Author and Journalist Joe Emersgerger. You can find his work published at CounterPunch, Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR), MintPressNews and more. Also, be sure to read his book Extraordinary Threat: The US Empire, the Media and Twenty Years of Coup Attempts in VenezuelaBACKGROUND:Ecuador's President Guillermo Lasso dissolved the National Assembly by decree on May 17 bringing forward legislative and presidential elections and heading off an attempt by opposition politicians to impeach him.Opposition politicians wanted to impeach Lasso over acc...
2023-05-2646 min
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanWhatever Happened to that Plane? U.S. Unilateral Sanctions & the Saga of Venezuela's Emtrasur Cargo 747EPISODE: Whatever Happened to that Plane? U.S. Unilateral Sanctions and the Saga of Venezuela’s Emtrasur Cargo 747GUEST: Orlenys Ortiz, citizen journalist joining us from VenezuelaTRANSLATION: Carmelo Valasquez, Velasquez Translations, Buenos Aires, ArgentinaBACKGROUND:On May 3, 2023, the Argentinian press reported a US prosecutor requested the US Justice Department to order the definitive execution of the seizure order of Emtrasur’s Boeing 747-300. (Empresa de Transporte Aerocargo del Sur). The plane arrived in Argentina in June 2022 in what was supposedly a routine cargo flight. Nonetheless, the aircraft, its cargo, and its crew...
2023-05-1931 min
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanThe Country is Not for Sale: Economic Development & Trade Zones (ZEDEs) vs National SovereigntyEPISODE: The Country is Not for Sale-Economic Development & Employment Zones (ZEDEs) versus National SovereigntyGUESTS: Beth Geglia, anthropology PhD, and Melinda St. Louis, Director of Public Citizen’s Global Trade WatchBACKGROUND:On May 3, Democratic U.S. lawmakers urged the U.S. Trade Representative and State Department to eliminate investor-state dispute settlement provisions from current and future trade deals and to intervene on behalf of Honduras against a U.S. company's nearly $11 billion claim against the country.In a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Trade Representative Katherine Tai, 33 law...
2023-05-1249 min
The Red Nation PodcastBurying the Monroe DoctrineFollowing a day-long discussion about U.S. interventionism and efforts to resist imperialism at the Latin America and Caribbean Policy Forum, host José Luis Granados Ceja is joined by Nick Estes from The Red Nation, Claudia De La Cruz from The People's Forum, Teri Mattson of the WTF is Going on in Latin America and the Caribbean podcast, Celina della Croce and Hector Figarella from the Anti-Imperialist Action Committee, as well as Venezuelanalysis' Greg Wilpert, to have a rich discussion about the fight to bury the Monroe Doctrine, ending sanctions on Venezuela, and drawing inspiration from the Bolivarian Revolution.
2023-05-0447 min
VenezuelanalysisDispatch: Burying the Monroe DoctrineFollowing a day-long discussion about U.S. interventionism and efforts to resist imperialism at the Latin America and the Caribbean Policy Forum, host José Luis Granados Ceja is joined by Nick Estes from The Red Nation, Claudia De La Cruz from The People’s Forum, Teri Mattson of the WTF is Going on in Latin America and the Caribbean podcast, Hector Figarella from the Anti-Imperialist Action Committee, and Celina della Croce from the Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research, as well as Venezuelanalysis’ Greg Wilpert, to have a rich discussion about the fight to bury the Monroe Doctrine, ending sanctions on Ve...
2023-05-0342 min
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanGuatemalan Political Crisis: June 25 Elections Set as Critics Slam DisqualificationsEPISODE: Guatemalan Political Crisis-June 25 Elections Set as Critics Slam DisqualificationsGUEST: Frank with The Network in Solidarity with the People of Guatemala (NISQUA)BACKGROUND:Campaigning began in earnest last month for Guatemala’s general elections, with political messaging filling the streets, local broadcasts and social media. But less than three months before the June 25 vote, concerns are mounting among national and international observers over the integrity of the process.At least 30 political parties are set to contest the upcoming elections, with more than 22,000 candidates registered to run for the presidency, congress, regio...
2023-04-271h 22
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanRussia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov Visits BrazilEPISODE: Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov Visits BrazilGUEST: Camila Escalante, Kawsachun News-BrazilBACKGROUND:Russia’s minister of foreign affairs, Sergei Lavrov, arrived in Brasília on Monday for talks with his Brazilian counterpart, Mauro Vieira, in the latest of a series of bilateral encounters likely to ruffle the US.Lavrov arrived just as Brazil’s president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, returned from a state visit to China, and both missions are part of a diplomatic reset Lula has pursued since returning to power this year, as h...
2023-04-211h 19
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanBurying 200 Years of the Monroe DoctrineEPISODE: Burying 200 Years of The Monroe DoctrineGUEST: Carlos Ron, Venezuela Vice Minister of Foreign Relations for North AmericaBACKGROUND:The Monroe Doctrine, first articulated by U.S. President James Monroe on December 2, 1823, is a United States foreign policy position that opposes European colonialism in the Western Hemisphere. It holds that any intervention in the political affairs of the Americas by foreign powers is a potentially hostile act against the United States. The doctrine was central to American foreign policy for much of the 19th and early 20th centuries. The doctrine remains in pla...
2023-04-1456 min
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanReject U.S. Imperialism! Make Our Americas a Zone of PeaceEPISODE: Reject U.S. Imperialism! Make Our Americas a Zone of PeaceGUESTS: Ajamu Baraka, Black Alliance for Peace Haiti/Americas TeamMargaret Flowers, Co-Founder and Director of Popular Resistance & Host of the podcast Clearing the FogBACKGROUND:On Tuesday, April 4, The Black Alliance for Peace (BAP), along with key partner organizations, launched an effort to activate the popular movements in our region in support of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) 2014 call to make the Americas region a “Zone of Peace.” This campaign will be informed...
2023-04-071h 02
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanArgentina Celebrates 40 Years of Democracy and Human RightsEPISODE: Argentina Celebrates 40 Years of Democracy and Human RightsGUEST: Franco Metaza, Director-General for Foreign Affairs of the Argentina National Senate.BACKGROUND:Last week, Argentina celebrated 40 years of democracy and human rights by hosting the Third World Forum of Human Rights (March 20-24) scheduled in tandem with its National Day of Remembrance for Truth & Justice. The Forum closed with a march and rally on March 24 which marked 47 years since the US-backed military coup that overthrew the democratically elected government on March 24, 1976, and installed the bloodiest dictatorship in the history of #Argentina remained in pow...
2023-03-3127 min
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanMexico's Fourth Transformation and Why the U.S. Wants to Stop ItEPISODE: Mexico’s Fourth Transformation and Why the U.S. Wants to Stop It We thank The Mexico Solidarity Project for participating in this episode as a special broadcast partner.GUEST: Kurt Hackbarth, Writer, Journalist and ActivistBACKGROUND:"Although the 4T has not fulfilled everyone’s expectations, it has, in four years, created a governing movement that is taking control of its energy resources (including the nationalization of lithium) and is adopting a role of regional leadership in Latin America: two sins the United States has not historically forgive...
2023-03-171h 42
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanColombia: Total Peace and the Fight to Free all Political PrisonersEPISODE: Colombia-Total Peace and the Fight to Free All Political PrisonersGUESTS: Anthony Dest, Colombia Freedom CollectiveAjamu Baraka, Black Alliance for Peace National Organizer & BAP Haiti/Americas TeamBACKGROUND:In April 2021, tens of thousands of people took to the streets in Colombia to demand change. They rejected decades of state violence and deepening inequality. Over the course of three months, the largest protest in Colombian history spread to over 800 municipalities throughout the country. The months-long protests played a huge role in creating the conditions for the...
2023-03-1044 min
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanThe Devastating Effects of Militarization on Puerto Rico and Her People: How One Activist is Promoting Health Justice for Vieques and CulebraEPISODE: The Devastating Effects of Militarization on Puerto Rico and Her People. How One Activist is Promoting Health Justice for Vieques & Culebra. GUEST: Monisha Rios, Puerto Rican psychologist, social worker and disabled US veteran. Founder and director of Centro Solidario de Puerto Rico.NOTE: Full visual presentation can be viewed here:BACKGROUND:The U.S. has been overtly and covertly intervening in Puerto Rico's internal affairs since 1898. Like the Spanish, British, Dutch, and the French, the U.S. understood the strategic value of the Puerto Rican archipelago, which would g...
2023-03-031h 00
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanPeru: More than StatisticsEPISODE: Peru - More than StatisticsIn today’s episode, WTF host Teri Mattson shares some of the key findings of the Preliminary Report of the International Mission of Solidarity and Human Rights Delegation which arrived in Peru on February 7, 2023 and deployed its work in the country until the 13th of the same month. Teri was one of 19 human rights observers comprising the delegation.Episode photo courtesy of Manuel Ortiz (@manuortize)Links to the photo albums mentioned in the episode can be found belowFOLLOW:Teri Mat...
2023-02-2429 min
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanLive from Peru-National Strike, Day 40EPISODE: National Strike, Day 40: A Conversation with Human Rights Activists in PeruNOTE: This is a follow-up conversation to our February 2 Episode with Peruvian activists Anahi Durand and Eliana Carlin. I have since visited Peru on a human rights observation delegation with Mision de Solidaridad Internacional y Derechos HumanosInterpretation provided by Jill Clark GollubGUESTS:Clau O'Brien Moscoso. She is an organizer with the Black Alliance for Peace in the Haiti/Americas Team. Originally from Barrios Altos, Lima, she grew up in New Jersey and now lives between both countries.H...
2023-02-1746 min
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The Caribbean"So They Can See Us", Peru's National Protest Advances on LimaEPISODE: “So They Can See Us” Peru’s National Protest Advances to LimaGUESTS:Anahi Durand is a sociologist, former Minister of Women & Vulnerable Populations for the Castillo Presidency and founder of Mujers por Una Nueva Constitución (Women for a New Constitution); and,Eliana Carlin is a Peruvian political scientist, lecturer and researcher. She is also Co-founder of Heroinas Peruanas and No a Keiko (Peruvian Heroines and No to Keiko)Note: This episode is in Spanish with English translation. Interpretation provided by Carmelo Velasquez of Velasquez Translations, Buenos Aires
2023-02-0355 min
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanCELAC Summit 2023: Latin American Integration includes the Voices of the PeopleEPISODE: CELAC 2023-Latin American Integration includes the Voices of the PeopleGUEST: Alejandro Rusconi, Secretary of International Relations for Evita MovementSpanish to English interpretation provided by Carmelo Velasquez of Velasquez Translations, Buenos AiresBACKGROUND:Founded in 2011,.CELAC, or the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, is a multilateral group of 33 countries from across the Western Hemisphere that excludes Canada and the United States It was created to be an alternative forum for Latin American countries. Inaugural leaders, such as Venezuela’s Hugo Chávez, envisioned the group a...
2023-01-271h 07
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanAsylum for Sale: Profit and Protest in the Migration IndustryEPISODE: Asylum for Sale: Profit and Protest in the Migration IndustryGUEST: Adrienne Pine, Author and Medical Anthropologist. For the past 17 years, she has worked in US federal asylum courts as a country conditions expert for Honduran asylum seekers in more than 100 asylum cases.BACKGROUND:On the heels of last week’s North America Trilateral Summit, from which not much changed within the migratory system, today’s episode will focus on migration as a for-profit industry which has turned migrating humans into commodities.Our guest Adrienne Pine is co-editor of the book Asy...
2023-01-201h 05
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanNorth America's Trilateral Talks in Mexico CityEPISODE: North America’s Trilateral SummitGUESTS: Marco Castillo, Co-Executive Director of Global ExchangeJim Hodgson, Canadian JournalistBACKGROUND:The North American Leaders' Summit (NALS), sometimes called the Three Amigos Summit in the popular press,[1][2][3] is the trilateral summit between the prime minister of Canada, the president of Mexico, and the president of the United States.[4] The summits were initially held as part of the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America (SPP), a continent-level dialogue between the three countries established in 2005, and cont...
2023-01-141h 08
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The Caribbean219 Years of Haitian Independence: the firstEPISODE: 219 Years of Haitian Independence, a history of the first revolution in The AmericasGUESTS: Pierre LaBossiere, Judith “Mirk” Mirkinson and Seth Donnelly of The Haiti Action CommitteeBACKGROUND:On January 1, 1804, Haiti became an independent republic, following the revolution which had begun 13 years earlier as a rebellion of enslaved people against slavery and French colonialism.Previously known as Saint-Domingue, it was the most profitable colony in the world, generating greater revenue than all of the continental North American colonies combined. This immense wealth was generated by the sweat and blood of enslav...
2023-01-061h 04
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanSaab Oral Argument Focuses on Legitimacy of Maduro GovernmentTODAY’S EPISODE: Saab Oral Argument Focuses on Legitimacy of Maduro Government GUEST: Author, labor attorney and human rights activist Dan Kovalik of Council on Hemispheric AffairsBACKGROUND:On December 20, in the U.S. District Court of Southern Florida, Judge Robert N. Scola heard oral arguments on Alex Saab’s motion to dismiss the case against him. The factual issue for the Court to decide was “whether Mr. Saab was a special envoy from Venezuela to Iran traveling on a mission when he was detained in Cape Verde and extradited to the U...
2022-12-3149 min
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanDeconstructing the Anatomy of "Forgetting"EPISODE: Deconstructing the Anatomy of "Forgetting"GUEST; Journalist, activist and educator Roberto Alvarenga LovatoRoberto Lovato is the author of Unforgetting (Harper Collins), a “groundbreaking” memoir the New York Times picked as an “Editor’s Choice.” Newsweek listed Lovato’s memoir as a “must read” 2020 book which the Los Angeles Times listed as one of its 20 Best Books of 2020. Unforgetting was also shortlisted for the 2022 William Saroyan International Prize for Writing. Lovato, a Visiting Assistant Professor of English at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, is also a journalist whose work has appeared in the New York Times...
2022-12-2351 min
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanLawfare: Judicial & Legislative Coups in Argentina and PeruTODAY’S EPISODE: Lawfare: Judicial & Legislative Coups in Argentina and PeruJoining me today is my friend and co-host Raul Burbano. Raul is the Program Director for Common Frontiers based in Toronto. Common Frontiers is a WTF broadcast partnerGUESTS: Aníbal Ibarra and Daniela Ortiz.Anibal is the former Mayor of Buenos Aires and Federal Prosecutor. Anibal is currently a criminal defense lawyer and member of the Broad Front political party. Daniela Ortiz is a peruvian artist and antiracist militant who lives in Urubamba, Peru. She was part of the Campaign a...
2022-12-161h 00
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanDecolonization, Multipolarity and the Demise of the Monroe DoctrineEPISODE: Decolonization, Multipolarity & the Demise of the Monroe Doctrine GUEST: Frederick Mills, professor of philosophy at Bowie State University and Deputy Director of the Council on Hemispheric Affairs. He researches and writes on ethics, philosophy, U.S. --Latin America relations and has recently published a book, Enrique Dussel's Ethics of Liberation: An Introduction.BACKGROUND:December 3, 2023 will mark the 200th anniversary of the Monroe Doctrine. It will also mark its obsolescence in the face of popular resistance and the Pink Tide of progressive governments in Latin America that have been elected over the past t...
2022-12-0941 min
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanSave the Planet: Nicaragua & the Climate CrisisEPISODE: Save the Planet: Nicaragua & the Climate CrisisGUEST: Javier Gutierrez, Secretary of the Presidency of Nicaragua for Climate Change and Vice-Minister of Environment and Natural Resources.On the heels of COP27, we present an encore broadcast from August 2021 discussing climate change with guest Javier Gutierrez, Secretary of the Presidency of Nicaragua for Climate Change and Vice-Minister of Environment and Natural Resources.This episode is a thorough presentation of the effects of climate change on food production, extreme weather conditions, insect borne illnesses, and migration, as well as, a scientific discussion as to...
2022-11-2559 min
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanBolivia's Right-Wing Orchestrates a Civic StrikeEPISODE: Bolivia’s Right-Wing Orchestrates a Civil StrikeGUESTS: Camila Escalante and Ollie Vargas of Kawsachun News and the podcast Latin America in ReviewBACKGROUND:In the last 21 days former coup leader and current governor of the Department of Santa Cruz, Luis Fernando Camacho, has been allowed “to carry out a coup d’état in the city of Santa Cruz,” in the words of Pedro Damián Dorado, vice president of the association of municipalities of the department by the same name. Constant media misinformation is the glue that holds together Camacho’s base, which c...
2022-11-1848 min
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanColombia & Venezuela: Brother Nations ReuniteEPISODE: Colombia & Venezuela, Brother Nations ReuniteGUEST: Daniel KovalikDan is an American lawyer and Human Rights advocate who currently teaches International Human Rights at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. From 1993 until 2019 he served as in-house counsel for the United Steelworkers, AFL-CIO. While with the USW, he worked on Alien Tort Claims Act cases against The Coca-Cola Company, Drummond and Occidental Petroleum – cases arising out of egregious human rights abuses in Colombia. Dan is the recipient of the David W. Mills Mentoring Fellowship from Stanford University School of Law as well as the Projec...
2022-11-1132 min
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanBrazil's Lula da Silva: A Victory of an Immense Democratic MovementEPISODE: Brazil’s Lula da Silva: A Victory of an Immense Democratic MovementGUEST: Michael Fox who is an independent journalist and the podcast host of Brazil on Fire a NACLA and Real News productionBACKGROUNDLuiz Inácio “Lula” da Silva was elected the next president of Brazil, in a stunning comeback following a tight run-off race on Sunday, October 30. His victory is one of an Immense Movement returning democracy to Latin America’s largest country, after four years of Jair Bolsonaro’s far-right administration.The 76-year-old politician’s win represents the r...
2022-11-041h 00
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanThe Impending U.S. Invasion of HaitiTODAY'S EPISODE: The Impending U.S. Invasion of HaitiGUEST: Jemima Pierre of Black Alliance for PeaceAssociate Professor, Department of African American Studies and Department of Anthropology, University of California Los AngelesJemima Pierre is a sociocultural anthropologist whose research and teaching interests are located in the overlaps between African Studies and African Diaspora Studies and engage three broad areas: race, racial formation theory, and political economy; culture and the history of anthropological theory; and transnationalism, globalization, and diaspora. She is the author of The Predicament of Blackness: Postcolonial Ghana and the...
2022-10-2848 min
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanAlex Saab, A Kidnapped DiplomatNote: this episode is bilingual (Spanish and English). For full English translation, please view at: https://youtu.be/AvzCWjqiRQEAdditional note: the first few minutes of this broadcast were disrupted by anti-government trolls. The disruption has been left in the recording so as to demonstrate some of the obstacles faced while reporting a non-US narrative from Venezuela.TODAY'S EPISODE: Alex Saab: A Kidnapped DiplomatThis is a special episode featuring the screening of the documentary film by the same name followed by a discussion/Q&A session with our guests:Camila...
2022-10-211h 47
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanBrazil's Presidential Election Goes to a Second RoundGuests:Camila Escalante of Kawsachun NewsCraig Jardula of the ConvoCouchBoth of our guests were on the ground in Brazil to observe the first round presidential elections held Sunday, October 2Background:Brazil's presidential election is headed for a run-off vote, electoral authorities said on Sunday, October 2, after President Jair Bolsonaro's surprising strength in the first round spoiled rival Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's hopes of winning outright.With 99.7% of electronic votes counted, Lula was ahead with 48.4% of votes versus 43.3% for Bolsonaro, the national electoral authority reported...
2022-10-0743 min
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanGustavo Petro at the United Nations: "It is time for PEACE"In this episode, we are in conversation with three Colombians living in the North America diaspora about their impressions of Colombian President Gustavo Petro’s address to the United Nations on Tuesday, September 20Guests:Raul Burbano, Executive Director Common Frontiers, TorontoYhamir Chabur, Troika Kollectivo, QueensSamantha Wherry, CODEPINK Latin America Coordinator, Wash DCBackground:On Tuesday September 20, the first day of the United Nations General Assembly, Colombian President Gustavo Petro made his first address to the body. The speech sharply deviated from those of his conservative pre...
2022-09-301h 06
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanDeconstructing the September 4 Plebiscite in ChileGUESTS:Patricio Zamorano, Co-Director of the Council on Hemispheric Affairs which is also a WTF broadcast partner. Patricio is Chilean born and has been living in the US for 20 years. He voted at the Chilean Embassy in Washington DC on Sunday.Alondra Carrillo Vidal, member of the Chilean Constitutional Convention and spokesperson for Coordinadora Feminista 8MBACKGROUND:On Sunday, September 4, Chileans overwhelmingly voted against a proposed new constitution rejecting what would have been one of the world's most progressive charters.While nearly 80% of Chileans voted to draft a new...
2022-09-0954 min
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanArgentina's Vice President Faces a "Media-Judicial Firing Squad"Guest: Franco Metaza,Director-General for Foreign Affairs of the Argentina National Senate.Franco is a political activist of Argentina. He is involved in the Peronist-Kirchnerista movement of “La Campora”.He has a degree in Government and International Relations. He did his degree thesis on the Mercosur Parliament.He has held different positions related to international relations in the General Secretary of Argentina Presidency, Chamber of Representatives and the National Bank of Argentina.He participated in several G20 summits leading the youth delegation from his country (Mexico 2012, Russia 2013, Australia 2014).He is c...
2022-09-0130 min
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanSocial Movements: Community Organizing, Political Formation & Electoral WinsJoin us for a powerful female panel conversation on the importance of movement building. We will explore how four Latin American nations changed, or hope to change, their governments and the future of their people. This is a bilingual episode (principally English)This episode was inspired by a fantastic group of women throughout the Americas that I have had the privilege to work with regarding Colombia solidarity and the recent presidential elections.Our discussion expands upon a recurring theme that has inevitably arisen in each program throughout the past year as we witnessed numerous elections...
2022-08-251h 32
SputnikFBI searches Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago home; A revived Iran nuclear deal is in the makingFormer President Donald Trump said yesterday that the FBI raided his Mar-a-Lago Club and searched his safe. Agents were said to be conducting a court authorized search in an ongoing Justice Department probe.John Burris, civil rights attorney, joins us to discuss the FBI search at Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago home. According to two people familiar with the probe, the search was court-authorized and related to the potential mishandling of classified documents.Dr. Gerald Horne, professor of History at the University of Houston, TX, author, and historian, joins us to discuss the Pan-African response to New Imperialism. He ta...
2022-08-101h 57
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanThree Weeks of Anti-Neoliberal Protests in PanamaWith guest Ronaldo Ortiz, National Coordinator for FRENADESO (El Frente Amplio por la Democracia, Panamá)This episode is bilingual.For English subtitles, please visit: https://youtu.be/s3MooQE9w_EBackground:Earlier this week, The Panamanian government and protesters edged closer to an agreement to end a weeks-long cost-of-living revolt that has blocked roads, interrupted food supplies and damaged the economy. Authorities agreed in the early morning hours of July 25 to reduce the price of 72 basic consumer items by some 30 percent on average.For three weeks, amid worsening e...
2022-07-2930 min
Arise: A Festival of Left Ideas¡Viva la solidaridad!A discussion on the the leftwards shift in Latin America, and how these progressive movements challenge the hardline neoliberalism and US domination of the region! With...Rodolfo Pastor, Secretary of the Presidency, Honduras // Victor De Currea Lugo, Colombian journalist // Rafaela Molina, Wiphalas across the world, Bolivia // Mickey Brady MP, Sinn Fein & member of previous delegations to Colombia & Venezuela // Teri Mattson, Latin America Coordinator, CODEPINK - Women for Peace, US // Nathalia Urban, Brasilwire & more tba.Labour Friends of Progressive Latin America session at Arise Festival 2022 . Hosted on...
2022-07-251h 04
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanAMLO Goes to Washington: The Mexico/US Bilateral Meeting in ReviewGuest: Marco Castillo, Executive Director of Global Exchange and coordinator for Nuestra RedBackground:On July 12 when Mexican president Lopez Obrador traveled to Washington DC his most exciting encounter for Mexicans (both in the U.S. and in Mexico) was not his meeting with President Biden, but his impromptu encounter with well wishers outside his hotel room at The Lombardy. A video of the encounter went viral. It showed the president (known by his initials AMLO) sticking his head out the window, blowing kisses, catching a bouquet of flowers thrown to him, and being serenaded...
2022-07-2258 min
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanTell the White House: Cuba is not a Sponsor of TerrorToday’s Episode: Tell the White House: Cuba is not a Sponsor of TerrorGuest: activist, author and co-founder of CODEPINK, Medea Benjamin. BackgroundIn the last days of the outgoing Trump administration, then Secretary of State Mike Pompeo added Cuba back onto the list of state sponsors of terrorism, after it had been removed from the list in 2015 by the Obama-Biden administration. After a significant review, the Obama-Biden White House had certified that “(i) the Government of Cuba has not provided any support for international terrorism during the preceding 6-month period; and (ii) the...
2022-07-1528 min
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanEcuador: The Lasso Government Post-National StrikeEpisode: Ecuador-The Lasso Government Post-National StrikeWhich is a follow-up to our June 22 episode “Ecuador Erupts against Neoliberalism with guest Camila Escalante of Kawsachun News. Guest: author and journalist Joe Emersberger. You can find his work published at FAIR (Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting) and be sure to read his book Extraordinary Threat: The US Empire, the Media and Twenty Years of Coup Attempts in VenezuelaBACKGROUND:Ecuador President Guillermo Lasso survived an impeachment vote on Tuesday, June 28 after a left opposition party failed to rally other smaller groups in congress to oust...
2022-07-0946 min
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanArgentina: BRICS, CELAC and the OASToday’s Episode: Argentina-BRICS, CELAC and the OASGuest: Franco Metaza,Director-General for Foreign Affairs of the Argentina National Senate.Guest Bio:Franco Metaza is a political activist of Argentina. He is involved in the peronist-kirchnerista movement of “La Campora”. He has a degree in Government and International Relations. He did his degree thesis on the Mercosur Parliament. He has held different positions related to international relations in the General Secretary of Argentina Presidency, Chamber of Representatives and the National Bank of Argentina. He participated in several G20 summits...
2022-06-3036 min
SputnikNATO Summit in Spain; BASF Plant in Germany May Close Due to Gas ShortageKJ Noh, peace activist, writer, and teacher, joins us to discuss the G7 meeting. G7 nations are struggling to deal with a significant economic crisis as the US empire pushes them to come up with massive amounts of capital to counter China. Also, the group works on additional sanctions against Russia.
Ray McGovern, former CIA analyst and co-founder of Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity, joins us to discuss the NATO meeting. NATO kicks off its summit in Spain as the Ukraine crisis, eastward expansion, and increasing military forces are the principal issues.
2022-06-291h 55
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanEcuador Erupts against NeoliberalismEpisode: Ecuador Erupts against NeoliberalismGuest: Camila Escalante of Kawsachun NewsBackground:Thousands of indigenous demonstrators marched through Ecuador's capital on Monday, June 20 urging President Guillermo Lasso to agree to demands for economic and social support, the latest in a series of protests that have injured dozens and disrupted the economy.Amid a surge in the cost of living, the protests began last Monday with a list of 10 demands, including a fuel price cut, preventing further expansion of Ecuador's oil and mining industry, and more time for small and medium-sized farms to...
2022-06-2447 min
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanVoices for an Inclusive HemisphereToday’s Episode: Voices for an Inclusive Hemisphere Guest :Fiorella Mayorca of The Convo CouchBackground:The White House announced in January 2022 that the City of Los Angeles would serve as host of IX Summit of the Americas on June 6-10. As host, the United States selects the site of the summit and its attendees. The United States did not invite Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua to the summit as these countries are accused by the United States of having undemocratically elected leaders. It was known the US would not invite these leaders. The White...
2022-06-1740 min
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanColombia Presidential Elections move to a Second RoundTodays’ episode: Colombia Presidential Elections move to a Second RoundGuest Raul Burbano, Executive Director of Common Frontiers based in Toronto.Background:Two anti-establishment candidates, Gustavo Petro, a centrist and Rodolfo Hernández, a right-wing populist, captured the top two spots in Colombia’s presidential election on May 29 delivering a stunning blow to Colombia’s dominant conservative political class.The two men will compete in a runoff election on June 19 that is shaping up to be one of the most consequential in the country’s history. At stake is the country’s economic v...
2022-06-0349 min
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanElections Observers denied Entry to ColombiaTodays’ episode: Elections Observers denied entry to ColombiaCo-Host: CODEPINK Latin America policy expert Leonardo Flores.Guest: Nestor Cristancho of Canal 2, Cali, ColombiaOn Sunday, May 29 Colombians will vote for President. The election comes at a difficult moment for the country. Polls show widespread dissatisfaction with the government of the current president, Ivan Duque and frustration over chronic poverty, a widening income gap and insecurity, all of which have worsened during the pandemic.Among those hurt the most by these problems are younger Colombians, who are likely to play a big role...
2022-05-2754 min
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanBiden's Summit Fizzles-OutTodays’ episode: Biden’s Summit Fizzles-outCo-Host & Guest: Leonardo Flores, CODEPINK Latin America Policy ExpertA series of events has been unraveling since early May in advance of US President Joe Biden’s Summit of the America’s schedule to take place in Los Angeles June 6-10A few of those events include: The publication of Trump’s Secretary of Defense, Mark T. Esper, book A Sacred Oath: Memoirs of a Secretary of Defense During Extraordinary Times. The President of Mexico announced he would not attend Biden’s Summit The appearance of easing US sanct...
2022-05-2048 min
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanAMLO Says he will not attend Biden's Summit of the AmericasEpisode Title: AMLO announces he will not attend Biden’s Summit of the AmericasOn the morning of May 10 from Mexico City in his daily press briefing, Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, in response to a question from the media, stated he would not be attending Biden’s Summit of the Americas: “If they are not all there, I will not be there.” This on the heels of a successful tour of Central America and Cuba.Recorded the afternoon of May 10, a full hour of inspiring, informative and follow-up conversation with guest Jesus Ramirez Cuevas, G...
2022-05-131h 16
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanNicaragua is a not a Colony of AnyoneToday’s episode: Nicaragua Expels the Organization of American States.. How will this impact Nicaragua and the integration of the Americas via institutions such as CELAC (La Comunidad de Estados Latinoamericanos y Caribeños)?On Sunday, April 24, 2022, Nicaragua said it had closed the local office of the Organization of American States (OAS), a US-based group that claims to promote solidarity and cooperation among countries in the Americas, and revoked the credentials of several of its staff. The official Government statement reads, in part:"The People and Government of Nicaragua have denounced and continue to denounce, the sha...
2022-05-051h 10
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanPolitical Prisoners, Indigenous Land Rights & the Fight against Neoliberalism in GuatemalaToday’s episode: Political Prisoners, Indigenous Land Rights and the Fight against Neoliberalism in Guatemala.It’s been a while since we have brought to you news from Guatemala, a country that to this day suffers the consequences of neocolonialism and Reagan’s Dirty Wars in Central America during the 1980s. Despite the MSM narrative currently emphasizing the struggles of Ukraine and the EU, let’s not forget that Guatemalans (specifically indigenous) are still being persecuted and are still dying as a direct result of US intervention 40 years ago and beyond.Today we welcome two guests who...
2022-04-2847 min
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanMaestros Voluntarios. Celebrating 61 Years of Cuba's National Literacy ProgramEpisode Title: Maestros Voluntarios: Celebrating 61 Years of Cuba’s National Literacy Program.On Friday, April 22 Cuba celebrated the 61st anniversary of the very first youth brigades sent to the Cuba countryside to teach reading and writing to the predominantly illiterate rural population. This is a highly successful post-revolution project that has been emulated across the world.Joining us to celebrate, and further discuss, the Cuba Literacy campaign is Catherine Murphy, director of the film Maestra and Nancy Wright a 12 veteran of public education in the DC metropolitan area. Nancy is also a member of Friends of L...
2022-04-211h 05
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanChallenging the US Narrative on MexicoEpisode Title: Challenging the US Narrative against MexicoOn Sunday, April 10 Mexicans went to the polls to determine whether sitting President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador should or should not remain in office to finish the remaining 3 years of his 6 year term. Of the approximately 16M citizens that participated, over 90% voted yes, AMLO should continue his presidency. Several of the energy reforms envisioned by the President for his remaining 3 years are not supported by Washington as suggested in a series of anti-energy reform articles published by Bloomberg beginning last year. The most recent article titled Mexican Opposition Party to...
2022-04-1429 min
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanFood Sovereignty: Nicaragua's No Hunger ProgramEpisode Title: Food Sovereignty: Nicaragua’s No Hunger ProgramThe crisis in Ukraine has created conditions for loss of farming production and global food distribution. Already there exists a shortage of fertilizer and an increase in energy costs that will affect production, transportation and distribution. Today is the second of an informal series of conversations we will have about the importance of food sovereignty and how different countries, organizations and institutions are attempting to guarantee the right to food.This episode features guests: Ivan Acosta, Nicaragua’s Minister of Housing and Public Credit and Justa Perez...
2022-04-071h 02
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanFood Sovereignty: Venezuela's Che Guevara CommuneEpisode Title: Food Sovereignty-Venezuela’s Che Guevara CommuneThe crisis in Ukraine has created conditions for loss of farming production and global food distribution. Already there exists a shortage of fertilizer and an increase in energy costs that will affect production, transportation and distribution. Today is the first of an informal series of conversations we will have about the importance of food sovereignty and how different countries, organizations and institutions are attempting to guarantee the right to food.Joining the conversation from Merida, Venezuela are episode guests Felipe Vanegaz and Hilmar Rodriguez of the Comuna Che G...
2022-03-3120 min
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanIs the Crisis in Ukraine Forcing a New US Approach Towards Venezuela?Episode Title: Is the Crisis in Ukraine Forcing a New US Approach Towards Venezuela? In this episode, I am joined by co-host Leonardo Flores, CODEPINK Latin America policy specialist. Our story was inspired by news from Saturday, March 5, when a group of senior U.S. officials flew to Venezuela for a meeting with President Nicolás Maduro’s government to discuss the possibility of easing sanctions on Venezuelan oil exports as the Biden administration weighed a ban on imports of Russian oil and gasThe trip was the highest-level U.S. visit to Venezuela in years a...
2022-03-2446 min
CODEPINK RadioEpisode 136: US-Venezuela relations & elections in ColombiaOn this episode of CODEPINK radio, Teri Mattson and Leonardo Flores interview Carlos Ron, Venezuela's Vice Minister for North American Affairs, about recent talks between the US & Venezuelan governments. In the second half of the program, Teri Mattson speaks with Victor de Currea-Lugo about the recent elections in Colombia.
2022-03-2355 min
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanElection Primaries move Colombia LeftOn Sunday, March 13 Colombians voted for a new congress and also cast ballots in presidential primaries to choose party candidates for the May presidential contest.As opinion polls had indicated, leftist Senator. Gustavo Petro emerged as the current leader in the race for the presidency. With nearly all votes counted, he won the primary for the Historical Pact, a coalition of left-wing parties, with 80% of the more than 5.4 million votes cast in its primary.Team Colombia, a coalition of conservative groups, drew 3.9 million voters to its primary, which was won by Federico Gutierrez, a former...
2022-03-1747 min
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanNicaragua: Renewable Energy Preserves National Sovereignty & Economic DevelopmentEpisode Title: Nicaragua-Renewable Energy Preserves National Sovereignty & Economic DevelopmentToday, we have the privilege of conversing with the Executive President of the Nicaragua Electrical Energy Company (ENEL), Ernesto Martinez Tiffer.Nicaragua is the leader in the Hemisphere of the Americas on renewable energy and has been for almost a decade. In this episode, we talk about the continuation of this program and the further development of renewable energy in Nicaragua. We also discuss Nicaragua's partnership with the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative to assist energy infrastructure development in the country as well.In...
2022-03-101h 04
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanJustice for Berta & Victory for the Guapinol 8Episode Title: Justice for Berta & Victory for the Guapinol 8Guest: Karen Spring host of the podcast Honduras Now. She is also the in-country coordinator for the Honduras Solidarity Network. Berta Caceres was a Honduran (Lenca) environmental activist, indigenous leader,[3] and co-founder and coordinator of the Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras (COPINH).[4][5][6] She won the Goldman Environmental Prize in 2015, for "a grassroots campaign that successfully pressured the world’s largest dam builder to pull out of the Agua Zarca Dam" at the Río Gualcarque.[7][8]Six years ago today, she was assass...
2022-03-0338 min
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanThe War against Puerto Rico ContinuesEpisode Title: The War Against Puerto Rico ContinuesGuest: Monisha Rios, a Puerto Rican psychologist and social worker, joins us live from Puerto RicoPolitical and economic tensions within the U.S.-occupied Latin American & Caribbean nation of Puerto Rico have resulted in another major uprising, led this time by teachers and other workers in the public sector. A national strike is scheduled for the 18th of February. This has come after a teacher fell asleep at the wheel when leaving his 3rd job and died in a car crash. https://www.latinorebels.com/2022/02/07/prteachersstrike/
2022-02-1744 min
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanCosta Rican Presidential Election heads to a RunoffEpisode Title: Costa Rican Presidential Election heads to a RunoffGuest: Matt Kirkegaard of Progressive International who was on the ground in Costa Rica as an international election observer.On Sunday, February 6 Costa Ricans took to the polls to elect a new President. According to the latest results reported from Costa Rica’s Supreme Election Tribunal (TSE) there will be a second and final round on April 3 between former President Jose Maria Figueres of the National Liberation Party (PLN) and Rodrigo Chaves of the Party for Social Democratic Progress (PSD). Figueres received 27.29% of the vote an...
2022-02-1037 min
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanHonduras Elects a New Future-Part IIEpisode Title: Honduras Elects a New Future Part IIGuest: Lucy Pagoada-Quesada who is a teacher, Coordinator of D19-Libre, US-Canada and a co-host of Voices of Resistance broadcasting on WBAI NYC Sundays at 1pm ET.Hondurans saw Xiomara Castro sworn in as their country’s first female president Thursday, January 27 amid a sea of waving flags in the national stadium.Castro blasted the departing administration for leaving her a heavily indebted country where poverty and a lack of opportunity have driven hundreds of thousands of Hondurans to migrate in recent years.“M...
2022-02-0459 min
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanFarming as RevolutionToday's episode features a return visit to IALA (Instituto Agroecologico Latinoamericano) Ixim Ulew located in San Tomas, Chontales, Nicaragua.Guests:Erica Takeo, Friends of the ATC Solidarity CoordinatorCarlos Rodriquez Valera, Founder and Coordinator of IALA Ixim UlewErica, Carlos and I reunite to discuss the progress made at IALA Ixim Ulew since first meeting in April 2021 as part of the Yes to Sovereignty, No to Sanctions delegation organized by Friends of the ATC and SanctionsKillPlease join us for an informative and heartfelt conversation live from Nicaragua.
2022-01-2350 min
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanNicaragua Vive: a post-inauguration conversationThis episode was broadcast live from Managua, Nicaragua three days after the inauguration of President Daniel Ortega and Vice-President Rosario Murillo. It is a conversation with journalists Camila Escalante of Kawsachun News and Fiorella Mayorca and Jonathan Mayorca of The Convo Couch all of whom attended the inauguration on January 10.We discuss events leading up to the re-election of the Nicaraguan President and Vice-President and what the continuation of their administration means for the Hemisphere of the Americas.A few things of regional importance included in the conversation: since winning re-election on November 7, the Ortega...
2022-01-1450 min
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanThe War on CubaThe War on Cuba is an award-winning documentary series executive-produced by Oliver Stone and Danny Glover that takes an in-depth look at the economic war waged by the Trump administration on the Cuban people. Released on YouTube in October 2020 and viewed half-a-million times, the series shows the devastating impact of U.S. sanctions and examines the political and electoral interests driving U.S. policy. CODEPINK's Medea Benjamin and Jodie Evans were the Executive Producers of this episode. With Special Guest: Cuban Journalist and the lead protagonist of The War on Cuba, Liz Oliva Fernández
2021-12-301h 22
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanNeoliberalism Dies in ChileOn December 19, a left of center millennial who rose to prominence during anti-government protests in 2019 was elected Chile’s next president after a bruising campaign against a free-market firebrand likened to Donald Trump.With 56% of the votes, Gabriel Boric handily defeated, by more than 10 points, lawmaker José Antonio Kast, who tried unsuccessfully to scare voters that his inexperienced opponent would become a puppet of his allies in Chile’s Communist Party and upend the country’s vaunted reputation as Latin America’s neoliberal prototype.In a model of democratic civility that broke from the polarizing rhetoric o...
2021-12-2237 min
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanHonduras Elects a New FutureOn November 30th, just two days after historic presidential elections in Honduras, conservative ruling party candidate Nasry Asfura conceded defeat in the Presidential Election paving the way for his Libre Party rival Xiomara Castro to become the first female leader of the Central American country. With over 52 percent of the votes tallied by the evening of November 30, Castro had 53.4 percent support.Although the electoral council has not published preliminary vote totals for congressional races, early results point to a possible majority for Castro's Libre Party and its main allies.As Asfura's concession brings to an...
2021-12-0942 minCODEPINK RadioEpisode 121: Honduras ends a narcodictatorship and Barbados ditches the queenThis week on CODEPINK radio, Teri Mattson is joined by independent journalist Alina Duarte to discuss the historic elections in Honduras, where Xiomara Castro's victory marked an end to a narcodictatorship installed by a US backed coup. On the second half of the program, Teri speaks with David Denny of the Caribbean Movement for Peace and Integration about Barbados ditching the Queen and becoming a republic.
2021-12-0855 min
Super-Exploitation and ResistanceField Report: Imperialism vs. Democracy in Nicaragua, Venezuela, HondurasSuper-Exploitation and Resistance brings you our first Field Report, dispatches from our on-the-ground coverage in Latin America. In this episode we take a look at three recent elections in the region—Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Honduras—where the left secured important victories in each country, striking important blows against imperialism in Latin America. What are the implications of these results for the left and US-LatAm relations? How will US and Canadian imperialism react?Our guests are: Teri Mattson, Latin America Coordinator with CODEPINK who participated in the elections in all three countries; Michelle Munjanattu, a memb...
2021-12-0357 min
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanThe End of the Reign, Barbados becomes a RepublicOn November 30, 2021 in an overnight ceremony in the capital, Bridgetown, Dame Sandra Mason was sworn in as president.The new era for Barbados ends Britain's centuries of influence, including more than 200 years when the island was a hub for the transatlantic slave trade.Dame Sandra Mason, 72, the island's governor-general since 2018, was named as president-elect of the nation following a vote in parliament last month. She now replaces the Queen as the head of state.Barbados announced its plan to become a republic last year, but it will remain within the Commonwealth....
2021-12-0138 min
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanA Big Win for Venezuela's Mega ElectionsToday I am joined in conversation with my friend and CODEPINK team mate Leonardo Flores. Leo holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from the University of Maryland and he dropped out of a master’s program at the University of Maryland School of Public Policy to work as an analyst of U.S.-Venezuela relations. Leonardo was born in Venezuela and maintains close ties to social movements that have transformed the country over the past twenty years. In this episode, we will focus on the November 21 Mega Elections in Venezuela where I served as an internal observer and of w...
2021-11-2534 min
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanNicaragua Post Election DayThis episode was recorded live in Managua, Nicaragua on November 10, 2021, three days after President Daniel Ortega and Vice-President Rosario Murillo won re-election. The November 7 Presidential elections in Nicaragua were the first in a series of elections throughout Latin America and the Caribbean over the course of the month.Joining the conversation are delegates who traveled to Nicaragua in October to observe conditions prior to Election Day and others who were on-the-ground serving as international observers on November 7.Guests include:Yoav Elinevsky, Latin America Working Group of Massachusetts Peace ActionStansfield Smith...
2021-11-1149 min
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanNovember 2021 Elections in Honduras, Nicaragua and VenezuelaThe month of November 2021 is filled with elections across much of Central America beckoning many of us to say that the hemisphere will look very different economically and politically at the end of the month versus how it is comprised today. This month we will witness elections on:November 7: Presidential Elections NicaraguaNovember 14: Legislative Elections in ArgentinaNovember 21: Presidential Elections in Chile and Regional and Municipal elections in VenezuelaNovember 28: Presidential Elections in HondurasThis episode will focus on the upcoming elections in Nicaragua, Venezuela and Honduras.M...
2021-11-041h 14
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanVaccines, Protests and the Cuban YouthGuest: La Jornada journalist Angel Guerra CabreraThis episode is bi-lingual: Spanish and EnglishOn October 18-19 in Qingdao, Cuba was introduced as a new member of the Belt and Road Energy Initiative Partnership during the partnership’s second ministerial conference.Cuba joins Bolivia, Venezuela and Suriname as the fourth Latin American country to become a member of the energy partnership.In 2019, officially joined the then four-year old Belt and Road initiative, which is planning to disburse $8 trillion for infrastructure projects mostly in developing nations around the globe.On Octob...
2021-10-2957 min
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanClimate Change, Displacement and the Border Industrial ComplexGuest: Todd Miller, author of Build Bridges, Not Walls and Empire of BordersIn this episode, we are joined in conversation with Todd Miller, author of Build Bridges, Not Walls and Empire of Borders. Todd has been reporting from international border zones for over 25 years. He writes a weekly post for The Border Chronicle. He resides in Tucson, Arizona, but also has spent many years living and working in Oaxaca, Mexico. His work has appeared in the New York Times, TomDispatch, The Nation, San Francisco Chronicle, In These Times, Guernica, and Al Jazeera English, among other places.
2021-10-211h 06
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanEnding US Colonialism of Puerto RicoGuest: Monisha Rios, Puerto Rican psychologist and social workerThe inspiration for tonight’s episode came during the VI Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) held in Mexico City on September 18. A result of the Summit was a: “SPECIAL DECLARATION ON THE QUESTION OF PUERTO RICO." The declaration includes two points:1. Reaffirm the Latin American and Caribbean character of Puerto Rico and, recognizing the efforts made and the resolutions adopted by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United Nations about the situation on Puerto...
2021-10-1656 minCODEPINK RadioEpisode 113: Sanctions on Venezuela: The Portugal Novo Banco case, and Venezuela's Anti-blockade LawThis week on CODEPINK radio we'll be discussing the sanctions on Venezuela. In the first segment Teri Mattson and Margaret Flowers interview William Castilo, Venezuela's Vice Minister for Anti-Blockade Policies, about the devastating economic war. In the second half of the program, Teri interviews Venezuelan Vice Minister Yvan Gil about $2 billion in Venezuelan funds currently being frozen by Portuguese bank Novo Banco - money that would otherwise be spent on healthcare for Venezuelans.
2021-10-1355 min
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanSanctions Kill: The Novo Banco CaseGuest: Venezuela Vice Minister Yvan GilSince 2017, the private Portuguese bank NovoBanco, 75% of which is owned by US private equity firm Lone Star, has withheld roughly $2 billion USD belonging to the Venezuelan state’s Economic and Social Development Bank (BANDES). BANDES is requesting that NovoBanco transfer roughly $25 million of the $2 billion directly to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) to pay for emergency medical supplies for the people of Venezuela. These supplies include: polio vaccines, yellow fever medicine, and thousands of syringes to address a critical shortage in the country.The government of Venezuela directed BAND...
2021-10-0936 min
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanUnderstanding Venezuela's Anti-Sanctions LawEpisode Title: Understanding Venezuela's Anti-Blockade LawGuests:Margaret Flowers of Popular Resistance, SanctionsKill and the Embassy Protection CollectiveWilliam Castillo, Venezuela Vice-Minister for implementation of the Anti-Blockade LawBackground:To combat the U.S. economic war on Venezuela, a new strategy was unveiled on Sept. 29. 2020 by President Nicolás Maduro, called the “Anti-Blockade Constitutional Law for National Development and Guarantee of Human Rights,” or anti-blockade law for short. It was approved in a session of the National Constituent Assembly (ANC by its Spanish initials) on Oct. 8, 2020. The ANC has s...
2021-10-0748 min
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanA New Political Context for the Americas: CELAC, the OAS and the UNGuest: Carlos Ron, Venezuela Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs for North AmericaOn July 24, the 238th Anniversary of Simon Bolivar's birth, Mexico's president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador addressed an audience of foreign ministers and international dignitaries saying: Let’s initiate a relationship in our hemisphere based on the premise of George Washington, according to which “nations should not take advantage of the misfortune of other peoples”.I am aware that this is a complex issue that requires a new political and economic outlook. The proposal is no more and no less than to build s...
2021-09-301h 01
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanAlex Saab, Sanctions and the Extra-Judicial Reach of the USGuest: John Philpot, senior criminal litigation attorney. A member of the Barreau du Québec since 1984, he has practiced Criminal Law in Montreal since 1984 and International Criminal Law since 1998.From “Alex Saab vs. Empire: How the US is Using Lawfare to Punish a Venezuelan Diplomat” By Roger Harris of broadcast partner Task Force on the Americas (MintPress May 24, 2021):“Special Envoy and Ambassador to the African Union for Venezuela Alex Saab was on a humanitarian mission flying from Caracas to Iran to procure food and gasoline for the Venezuelan CLAP food assistance program. Saab was detained on a refue...
2021-09-1645 min
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanEl Salvador Adopts Bitcoin as Its National CurrencyGuest: Yesenia Portillo, East Coast Coordinator for Committee In Solidarity with the People of El Salvador (CISPES).On September 7, The New York Times reported: "El Salvador on Tuesday became the first country to adopt Bitcoin as legal tender, allowing the cryptocurrency to be used in any transaction, from buying a cup of coffee to paying taxes. The bold move, largely celebrated by the international bitcoin community, has found a more skeptical reception at home and in the traditional financial world, amid concerns that it could bring instability and unnecessary risk to the Central American country’s fragile eco...
2021-09-1142 min
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanHybrid War, Sanctions & Regime Change in NicaraguaWith presidential elections in November, the U.S. is ramping up the pressure on the country. Congress is now considering the RENACER Act, which would mark a new phase in U.S. hybrid war against Nicaragua. Vijay Prashad of the Tricontinental Institute for Social Research, Alex Main of the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) and Jill Clark-Gollub of Friends of Latin America will engage in a timely discussion of this proposed law and U.S. attempts at regime change. After the discussion, participants will contact their Representative and urge them to vote no on the RENACER Act.
2021-09-021h 17
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanEcocide and Genocide in BrazilGuest: Nick Estes, journalist, historian and host of the Red Nation PodcastLast month Progressive International received a letter from The Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (APIB) calling for solidarity in their struggle for life and requesting a delegation to travel .to Brazil to witness Bolsonaro's assault on indigenous people and the environment.Over the course of 10 days, the delegation met with an incredible range of political actors in Brazil, including:Indigenous leaders from APIBKi Lombola representativesMembers of congress from parties such as: PT, PSOL and...
2021-08-2641 min
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanAnother Shock for HaitiGuest Co-Host:Yoav Elinevsky, Latin America Working Group coordinator for Massachusetts Peace ActionGuests: Pierre LaBossiere, Haitian born and from the region hit hardest by Saturday's earthquake. He is a veteran labor and human rights activist, a co-founder of Haiti Action Committee and a board member of the Haiti Emergency Relief Fund.Robert Roth, co-founder of the Haiti Action Committee. Robert was a high school history teacher in San Francisco for 30 years and is now an instructional coach for new teachers. He was active in the Central America solidarity movement in...
2021-08-1948 min
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanMexico Hosts Venezuela DialogueGuest: Diego Seguera of Mision Verdad. Diego is a writer, journalist, political analyst and researcher. He is a co-founder of Mision Verdad, as well, as a fellow with the Samuel Robinson Institute. Both organizations are based in Caracas, Venezuela.Background:On August 5th, Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador announced that Mexico will host talks between representatives of Venezuela's elected government and members of the Venezuelan opposition in its capital this month with Norway serving as mediator. "It has been proposed that Mexico be the place to carry out these negotiations and we...
2021-08-1240 min
WTF is Going on in Latin America & The CaribbeanNicaragua, Climate Change and COP26Guest:Javier Gutierrez, Secretary of the Presidency of Nicaragua for Climate Change and Vice-Minister of Environment and Natural ResourcesBackground:Under the slogan Uniting the world to tackle climate change, the forthcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), which will be held in Glasgow (UK) from 1 to 12 November 2021, will bring together representatives of some 200 governments with the aim of accelerating climate action to fulfill the Paris Agreement. The Presidency of the conference is already working with civil society and business to prepare the annual event and inspire climate action ahead of the event.
2021-08-0559 min
CODEPINK RadioEpisode 26 - CODEPINK Updates from DCTeri Mattson, Paki Wieland, and CODEPINK DC intern, Ayanni, are joined by economist and columnist, Mark Weisbrot of CEPR to discuss the problems and barriers that places the United States as one of the countries with very low turn out rates. Teri also lists travel opportunities to Latin America with CODEPINK for the upcoming 2020 year.
2020-02-0653 minCODEPINK RadioEpisode 11: A Tale of Two Countries, Venezuela and HondurasPaki is joined by CODEPINK Latin America Campaign Coordinators, Leonardo Flores and Teri Mattson, to illuminate the hypocrisy of the United State’s treatment of Venezuela and Honduras. Latin America has been suffering for 500+ years under European and American colonialism and more recently from corporate intervention and extractivsm.
Leonardo starts us off by reviewing policies that that has led Venezuela to it’s current standing. First, aggression started with the 2002 coup under the Bush Administration. Under the Obama Administration, an executive order was signed that VZ was an unusual threat, even once calling VZ the greatest threat to t...
2019-10-111h 00CODEPINK RadioEpisode 5: Root Causes of MigrationIn the fifth installment of CODEPINK, please join our host Teri Mattson for an important conversation about migration from the Northern Triangle, revocation of TPS and the dire conditions of the Southern Borders. Teri is CODEPINK’s Latin American Campaign Manager, and she begins the episode by discussing the local news and current events. Teri mostly focuses on the speculations and consequences of the Amazonian fire.
However, this episode is a must-listen as we are joined by Samantha Pinda and Erik Villalobos from CISPES DC. CISPES, or Committee in Solidarity With The People of El Salvador, is a...
2019-10-031h 00CODEPINK RadioEpisode 2: Latin America, Venezuela and Puerto RicoCODEPINK Co-Founder Medea Benjamin and CODEPINK Latin America Coordinator Teri Mattson talk about Teri's recent trip to Venezuela where she met with local grassroots activists to discuss the violence caused by U.S. sanctions. We also hear from CODEPINK activists in Puerto Rico where protesters are continuing to fight to eliminate the privatization of Puerto Rican civil society.
Guests:
Carlos Ron, Vice Minister North America, Foreign Ministry of Venezuela and Sergio Torrez, Embassy Protector and EPC delegation participant -
2019-10-021h 00