12/18/15

Latin Pulse: 12.18.2015

Politics and diplomacy provide the main themes for Latin Pulse this week.  The program marks the anniversary of the diplomatic opening between Cuba and the United States with an interview recorded in Havana.  The program deals with the prospects for the end of the embargo.  The program also follows the complicated corruption scandal in Brazil that has now intersected with the political movement to impeach and unseat President Dilma Rousseff.  The scandal has now evolved into a political crisis as all branches of the Brazilian government are involved in which politicians should be prosecuted and removed from office.

The program includes in-depth interviews with:

Bob Holden, former Governor of Missouri and now with Webster University; and
Matt Taylor of American University.

Executive Producer: Rick Rockwell; 
Technical Director: Jim Singer; and
Associate Producer: Natalie Ottinger.


(To download or stream this podcast, click here.)


  (The program is 30 minutes in length and the file size is 42 MB.)
 





























12/11/15

Latin Pulse: 12.11.2015

Religion and politics, the so-called taboo subjects provide the central themes for Latin Pulse this week.  The program provides a preview of Cuba's favorite religious celebration, the feast day of San Lazaro.  The program explores the mix of faiths that honor that day on Dec. 17, including the practitioners of Santeria and those with Christian beliefs.  The program also goes in-depth on reaction to the surprising landslide win of opposition groups in Venezuela in that country's Congressional elections. The program includes excerpts from an international press conference that analyzes the political scene in Venezuela.

The program includes in-depth interviews with:

Michael Atwood Mason,* the Director of the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage; and
David Smilde† of Tulane University and the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA).

Executive Producer: Rick Rockwell; 
Technical Director: Jim Singer; and
Associate Producer: Natalie Ottinger.


(To download or stream this podcast, click here.)


 *Michael Atwood Mason is also the author, editor, and curator of a cultural blog called Baba Who? Babalu!

†David Smilde is also the curator, editor and author of the WOLA blog, Venezuela Politics & Human Rights

 (The program is 30 minutes in length and the file size is 42 MB.)
 






























12/4/15

Latin Pulse: 12.04.2015

Latin Pulse returns from holiday hiatus this week, with a program about culture and politics.  The program previews the film Olvidados, about Operation Condor, that will soon make its cable debut on HBO Latino.  The film tells the story of Operation Condor from a Bolivian perspective.  And the program catches up with the results of the Argentine presidential elections and analyzes how a shift to a conservative government means historic changes for that country.  The news segment of the program looks at the move this week to begin official impeachment proceedings against President Dilma Rousseff in Brazil.

The program includes in-depth interviews with:

Carla Ortiz, the producer of Olvidados; and
Chris Sabatini of Columbia University & Latin America Goes Global.

Executive Producer: Rick Rockwell; 
Technical Director: Jim Singer; and
Associate Producer: Natalie Ottinger.


(To download or stream this podcast, click here.)


 (The program is 30 minutes in length and the file size is 42 MB.)
 



































11/20/15

Latin Pulse: 11.20.2015

Reflections on a special trip to Cuba provide the main themes on Latin Pulse this week.  The program includes interviews with a U.S. delegation on a cultural and educational exchange in Cuba, including the delegation's leader, the former governor of Missouri.  The program also includes viewpoints on the U.S. embargo of Cuba and the possibility of business development on the island.  The discussion ranges through politics, economics and shared interests between the U.S. and Cuba.  The news segment of the program discusses the capture of Syrians using illegal passports in Honduras to possibly enter the U.S. illegally.

The program includes in-depth interviews with:

Bob Holden, former governor of Missouri and now with Webster University; and
Chris Gutierrez, SmartPort of Kansas City.

Executive Producer: Rick Rockwell; 
Technical Director: Jim Singer; and
Associate Producer: Natalie Ottinger.


(To download or stream this podcast, click here.)


 (The program is 30 minutes in length and the file size is 42 MB.)
 
































11/6/15

Latin Pulse: 11.06.2015

Femicide and violence against women in Latin America provide the themes on Latin Pulse this week.  The program focuses on murders aimed at women in Central America and Mexico, the region with the worst global statistics as assembled by the United Nations.  The program also discusses linkages between such violence and unauthorized immigration.  The program discusses the causes behind femicide and includes analysis about the need to improve the justice in the region.  The news segment of the program covers the constitutional changes in Bolivia to allow President Evo Morales to run for re-election in four years if he wishes.

The program includes an in-depth interview with:

Karen Musalo of the University of California.

Executive Producer: Rick Rockwell; 
Technical Director: Jim Singer; and
Associate Producer: Natalie Ottinger.


(To download or stream this podcast, click here.)


 (The program is 30 minutes in length and the file size is 42 MB.)
 

































10/30/15

Latin Pulse: 10.30.2015

Trade, finance and economics provide the main themes on Latin Pulse this week. The program gives an in-depth analysis of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and what obstacles it faces in the U.S. Congress and the U.S. political system.  The program also reviews the current status of the debt crisis in Puerto Rico and dissects how the island territory piled up billions in debt.  The news segment of the program covers the results of presidential elections in Latin America, with a focus on why the presidential race in Argentina is headed to a second round of voting.

The program includes in-depth interviews with:

Chris Sabatini of Columbia University & Latin America Goes Global; and
Mauro Guillen of the Lauder Institute of the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.

Executive Producer: Rick Rockwell; 
Technical Director: Jim Singer; and
Associate Producer: Natalie Ottinger.


(To download or stream this podcast, click here.)


 (The program is 30 minutes in length and the file size is 42 MB.)
 











































10/23/15

Latin Pulse: 10.23.2015

Presidential politics and elections in Latin America provide the main themes on Latin Pulse this week. The program goes in-depth on this weekend's presidential elections in Guatemala and Argentina.  In Guatemala, comedian Jimmy Morales is the front-runner by a wide margin but some are asking if he is a true break with Guatemala's military past.  And in Argentina, Daniel Scioli leads the pack as the handpicked successor of President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, but can he make his own way?  The news segment of the program covers the latest developments with the debt crisis in Puerto Rico.

The program includes in-depth interviews with:

Eric Olson of the Wilson Center; and
Peter Hakim of the Inter-American Dialogue.

Executive Producer: Rick Rockwell; 
Technical Director: Jim Singer; and
Associate Producer: Natalie Ottinger.


(To download or stream this podcast, click here.)


 (The program is 30 minutes in length and the file size is 42 MB.)
 







































10/16/15

Latin Pulse: 10.16.2015

Politics and the competencies of governments in Venezuela and Brazil are the central themes on Latin Pulse this week. The program includes an in-depth discussion about the state of democracy in Venezuela and how it has deteriorated due to crackdowns on opposition leaders.  The program also includes a discussion of the political repercussions of the Petrobras corruption scandal in Brazil and further calls for the impeachment of President Dilma Rousseff.  The news segment of the program covers the murder of an activist for transgender rights in Argentina.

The program includes in-depth interviews with:

David Smilde of Tulane University; and
Carlos Pereira of the Getulio Vargas Foundation.

Executive Producer: Rick Rockwell; 
Technical Director: Jim Singer; and
Associate Producer: Natalie Ottinger.


(To download or stream this podcast, click here.)


 (The program is 30 minutes in length and the file size is 42 MB.)
 


































10/9/15

Latin Pulse: 10.09.2015

War and peace are the central themes on Latin Pulse this week. The program includes an in-depth discussion about breakthroughs in the peace process that could end 51 years of civil war in Colombia.  The program also discusses tensions in the border regions between Venezuela and Colombia, and on Venezuela's border with Guyana and what those tensions mean in the current political climate.  The news segment of the program covers new calls for impeachment to remove President Dilma Rousseff from office in Brazil.

The program includes in-depth interviews with:

Adam Isacson of the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA); and
David Smilde of Tulane University.

Executive Producer: Rick Rockwell; 
Technical Director: Jim Singer; and
Assistant Producer: Brooklynn Engel.


(To download or stream this podcast, click here.)


 (The program is 30 minutes in length and the file size is 42 MB.)
 










































10/2/15

Latin Pulse: 10.02.2015

Brazil and its struggles with corruption and development provides the central focus on Latin Pulse this week. The program discusses in detail the various corruption scandals that have created political gridlock in Brazil.  The program also has the latest on the development of the controversial Bello Monte dam and how that project is the source of environmental and cultural damage in the Amazon region.  The news segment of the program covers the speech by U.S. President Barack Obama at the United Nations calling for the U.S. Congress to strike down the economic embargo against the country.

The program includes in-depth interviews with:

Matt Taylor of American University; and
Eve Bratman of American University.

Executive Producer: Rick Rockwell; 
Technical Director: Jim Singer; and
Associate Producer: Natalie Ottinger.


(To download or stream this podcast, click here.)


 (The program is 30 minutes in length and the file size is 42 MB.)
 

































9/25/15

Latin Pulse: 9.25.2015

Culture and politics provide the themes on Latin Pulse this week. The program looks backward at the end of the popular Univision program Sabado Gigante and how it survived despite criticisms of its content.  The program provided a cultural link on Saturday evenings to many audiences throughout Latin America.  Latin Pulse also reviews the upcoming presidential elections in Argentina and how the final stage of the presidency of President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner casts a shadow on the process.  The news segment of the program reviews the trip to Cuba by Pope Francis and its implications for politics and diplomacy.

The program includes in-depth interviews with:

Constanza Mujica of Universidad Catolica; and
Amy Williams of Latin America Goes Global.

Executive Producer: Rick Rockwell; and
Associate Producer: Natalie Ottinger.


(To download or stream this podcast, click here.)


 (The program is 30 minutes in length and the file size is 42 MB.)
 










































9/18/15

Latin Pulse: 9.18.2015

It's the fourth anniversary of Latin Pulse, and the program celebrates in its own way:  a medley of out-takes and pithy comments from the most popular programs of the past year. The topics on the program range from a review of the crisis of unaccompanied minors on the U.S.-Mexico border to covering various fronts in the Drug War.  The program also includes segments on the economic impact of China on Latin America.  The news segment of the program covers the aftereffects of the earthquake in Chile that saw a million people evacuate their homes.

The program includes interview segments with:

Eric Olson of the Woodrow Wilson Center
Jo Tuckman of The Guardian;
Jeremy McDermott of InSight Crime;
Mark Jones of Rice University;
Kevin Gallagher of Boston University; and
Ignacio Siles of the Universidad de Costa Rica.

Executive Producer: Rick Rockwell; 
Technical Director: Jim Singer; and
Associate Producer: Natalie Ottinger.


(To download or stream this podcast, click here.)


 (The program is 30 minutes in length and the file size is 42 MB.)
 





























































9/11/15

Latin Pulse: 9.11.2015

Religion in Latin America provides the theme this week on Latin Pulse, as Cuba prepares for an official visit from Pope Francis. The program analyzes the importance of the pope's upcoming trip to Cuba and reflects on how the Cuba trip will provide a preface for the pope's visit to the United States. The program also reviews a new book that deals with how religion is fighting violence throughout Latin America, especially Central America.  The news segment of the program reviews the results in the first round of the Guatemalan presidential voting and the upset of comedian Jimmy Morales.

The program includes in-depth interviews with:

Andrew Chesnut of Virginia Commonwealth University; and
Alex Wilde of American University's Center for Latin American & Latino Studies (CLALS).

Executive Producer: Rick Rockwell; 
Technical Director: Jim Singer; and
Associate Producer: Natalie Ottinger.


(To download or stream this podcast, click here.)


 (The program is 30 minutes in length and the file size is 42 MB.)
 









































9/4/15

Latin Pulse: 9.04.2015

The seismic political shift in Guatemala provides the focus this week on Latin Pulse. The program covers both the resignation of President Otto Perez Molina due to a corruption scandal and the presidential elections that will have the country voting on new leaders this weekend.  The program analyzes the impact of the United Nations' International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG, by its Spanish acronym) in uncovering corruption and supporting the justice system.  The program also provides a preview of the elections and how the issue of corruption has become the centerpiece of that process too.

The program includes in-depth interviews with:

Adriana Beltran of the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA);
and
Julie Lopez of Plaza Publica.

Executive Producer: Rick Rockwell; 
Technical Director: Jim Singer; and
Associate Producer: Natalie Ottinger.


(To download or stream this podcast, click here.)


 (The program is 30 minutes in length and the file size is 42 MB.)
 





























8/28/15

Latin Pulse: 8.28.2015

Violence, crime and national security provide the themes this week on Latin Pulse. First, the program reviews security in Mexico, and discusses the rise of various cartels, especially the Sinaloa Cartel.  Another in-depth part of the program deals with the crisis in El Salvador due to the involvement of street gangs in a transportation strike. Both segments discuss how the central governments in these countries do not have the power to stop the criminal groups. The news segment of the program covers the border crisis between Venezuela and Colombia due to unauthorized immigration, violence and the influence of criminal groups.

The program includes in-depth interviews with:

Jo Tuckman of The Guardian;
and
Hector Silva of American University's Center for Latin American & Latino Studies (CLALS).

Executive Producer: Rick Rockwell; 
Technical Director: Jim Singer; and
Associate Producer: Natalie Ottinger.


(To download or stream this podcast, click here.)


 (The program is 30 minutes in length and the file size is 42 MB.)
 




































8/14/15

Latin Pulse: 8.14.2015

Pursuit of justice in major human rights cases in Central America provide the central focus this week on Latin Pulse. First, the program considers the potential extradition of Inocente Montano, a former high-ranking military official in El Salvador who a Spanish court is attempting to try for his part in ordering the massacre of Jesuit priests and religious workers.  The second case concerns former dictator Efrain Rios Montt accused of genocide in the killing of Mayan villagers in Guatemala. The news segment of the program covers the controversies swirling around the reopening of the U.S. embassy in Havana.

The program includes in-depth interviews with:

Hector Silva of American University's Center for Latin American & Latino Studies (CLALS); and
Kelsey Alford Jones of the Guatemala Human Rights Commission.

Executive Producer: Rick Rockwell; 
Announcer: Jim Singer; and
Production Assistant: Sierra Hancock.


(To download or stream this podcast, click here.)


 (The program is 30 minutes in length and the file size is 42 MB.)
 





























8/7/15

Latin Pulse: 8.07.2015

Colombia and its civil war provide some of the central themes this week on Latin Pulse. The program discusses land reform, rural development, and indigenous issues and how they are related to the civil war.  The program also reflects on the Colombian emigrant experience and the various social and cultural forms that this community works to keep alive.  The program discusses Colombian music, dance, and customs.  The news segment of the program covers the debt default of Puerto Rico and its economic crisis.

The program includes in-depth interviews with:

Jack Laun of the Colombia Support Network; and
Maria Amparo Holmes, author of Conexiones/Connections.

Executive Producer: Rick Rockwell; 
Producer: Jim Singer; and
Production Assistant: Sierra Hancock.


(To download or stream this podcast, click here.)


 (The program is 30 minutes in length and the file size is 42 MB.)
 































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7/31/15

Latin Pulse: 7.31.2015

Looking back at the violent history of repression in the Dominican Republic is the central theme this week on Latin Pulse, as this year marks the 50th anniversary of U.S. efforts to bolster a military dictatorship.  The program discusses the U.S. invasion and occupation in some depth and discusses how this event continues to resonate with Dominicans to this day.  The program also explores the political and economic fallout from that invasion.  The news segment of the program covers the violent transportation strike in El Salvador and how street gangs have amplified the tense conditions.

The program includes in-depth interviews with:

Tim Shenk of the Committee on U.S.-Latin American Relations (CUSLAR); and
Lauren Derby of UCLA.

Executive Producer: Rick Rockwell; 
Producer: Jim Singer; and
Production Assistant: Sierra Hancock.


(To download or stream this podcast, click here.)


 (The program is 30 minutes in length and the file size is 42 MB.)
 
































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