Welcome to the 2026 Season Premiere of the Latino Vote Podcast! And what a long year it has already been.

Chuck Rocha and Mike Madrid return from the holiday break with heavy hearts as they tackle a tumultuous start to 2026. Our hosts dissect the fatal ICE shooting of Renee Good in Minnesota, Trump's intervention in Venezuela, and what these events signal about America's shift toward authoritarianism both at home and abroad.

Drawing on Chuck’s recent travels in Africa and reflections on history, genocide, faith, and humanity, the conversation explores how fear is weaponized, how power is exercised, and why the rule of law feels increasingly fragile. Mike connects the dots between global instability, domestic policy, and the political consequences already reshaping Latino communities—especially as primaries approach in Texas and beyond.

But this isn't just doom and gloom. Mike and Chuck chart a path forward for Democrats in 2026, arguing that Latino voters—and all Americans who believe in good over power—need results now.

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Recorded December 8, 2026.

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