For many years, Mexico City has been a premier hub for renowned writers—like Nobel laureate Gabriel García Márquez—due to its vibrant cultural scene and thriving publishing industry. It's also an affordable alternative to other intellectual communities like Paris. On this episode of the Americas Now podcast, CGTN correspondent Alasdair Baverstock will take us to the neighborhoods loved by writers and share with us what international intellectuals find so appealing about this city. Baverstock will also tell us about his recent visit to the home of "Like Water for Chocolate" author Laura Esquivel who he interviewed for a profile.

In November 2016, Colombia signed a historic final peace agreement to end over 50 years of conflict with the FARC guerrilla group. The agreement, ratified by Congress, set a framework for disarmament and political participation for former rebels. On this episode of the Americas Now podcast, we will speak with Juan Manuel Santos, the former Colombian president who signed the peace. And later, we will chat with CGTN correspondent Michelle Begue, who covered the conflict—that cost tens of thousands of lives—the long negotiation process, and the aftermath of the peace deal. 

One in four children in Haiti suffers from chronic malnutrition. It’s the leading cause of death for children under 5 years old. In early 2024, CGTN correspondent Jason Motlagh deployed in Haiti and visited refugee camps and hospitals to uncover why food insecurity and poor living conditions are rapidly worsening. Motlagh joins host Elaine Reyes on this podcast conversation to give details about the crisis and what is being done to try to contain it. This episode includes testimonies of parents, medical experts and grassroots leaders.

Haiti has been gripped by increasing gang violence ever since the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse. Nearly 1.3 million people have been forced to flee and seek refuge. More than half of them are women and children. Over a dozen UN entities operate in Haiti, which is the poorest country in the western hemisphere. Haiti suffers from multiple crises, including infant malnutrition and severe deforestation. UN Insider’s host Elaine Reyes interviews Maria Isabel Salvador, who is the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Haiti and Head of the United Nations Integrated Office in the Caribbean country. This is the premiere episode for the UN Insider Podcast which will be launched later this summer.

For years, countless migrants have risked everything trying to cross the U.S.-Mexico border. But some never make it and meet a tragic ending. A number of those who die during the journey do not carry ID. But there is a group of scientists devoted to identifying the nameless. They also help bring closure to their grieving families.  Correspondent John Zarrella –who traveled to Texas to meet these dedicated forensic anthropologists- shares with Elaine Reyes the insights of this story of hope, humanity and science.  

Her debut novel “The House of the Spirits” sold over 70 million copies and was translated to more than 20 languages. Chilean best-selling author Isabel Allende has enchanted readers around the world since the early 1980s. CGTN correspondent Mike Kirsch visited the legendary writer at her home in California and shared all the insights of that captivating conversation with Elaine Reyes. This Americas Now podcast episode includes soundbites by Isabel Allende delving into her past, discussing her creative process and revealing her hopes for the future of literature. 

Since 1989, over 3,000 people have been exonerated from prison sentences in the United States after evidence proved they were innocent. But how hard is it for those who are wrongfully convicted to rebuild their lives? Americas Now Podcast host Elaine Reyes talks to correspondent Dan Williams who followed several cases and produced a special report on this issue.

Imagine a choir where some singers cannot see and others cannot hear. That’s the concept of a unique project in Venezuela, which shows how – when pre-conceptions are put aside — music can be made. Americas Now Podcast host Elaine Reyes talks to Stephen Gibbs who deployed in the city of Barquisimeto to meet and interview these talented musicians and artists. 

Navajo Nation people are being forced out. The same is happening in Central America, where the rainy season has become shorter and unpredictable. Farmers, most of whom are indigenous, can’t produce like they used to a decade ago, so they migrate north.