Learn Spanish with Stories

While it may be one of the most beautiful regions on the planet, it is no secret that most of Latin America is also one very dangerous place. With some of the deadliest cities on the planet and a questionable amount of corruption within governments and law enforcement entities, you wouldn’t be crazy to think twice before heading to the shady areas of the region.  

But it can’t all be bad, and this is what we want to cover in this episode of the Learn Spanish with Stories podcast. The good, the bad, and the ugly of crime and corruption in Latin America. 

Transcript of this episode is available at: https://podcast.lingomastery.com/listen/1082

Growing a startup to a billion dollars is already a huge challenge – for any founder on the planet, wherever they are. But we must admit that building a “unicorn” startup in Latin America is much harder than doing the same in London, Los Angeles or New York. Yet somehow, a number of founders have accomplished this goal, taking their companies to a valuation that surpasses a thousand million dollars.

But which companies are these and how did they accomplish this magnificent goal? In this episode of Learn Spanish with Stories, we discover these and more facts in Latin America’s own Silicon Valley.

Transcript of this episode is available at: https://podcast.lingomastery.com/listen/1081

Since primitive times, man has sought to learn more about the “beyond” – those gods or other supernatural beings that are said to be in other dimensions or worlds we cannot access until we die. In the case of Latin America, a great number of such gods have caused wonder among many civilizations.

In modern times, one such interesting goddess exists, whom is related to death in such an intrinsic way that she is known as “La Santa Muerte” or “The Holy Death”, and both worshiped and prayed to by masses of believers. In this episode of the Learn Spanish with Stories podcast, we learn more about the cult of La Santa Muerte and just exactly who she is and how her worshippers continue to grow all over the Latin American region.

Transcript of this episode is available at: https://podcast.lingomastery.com/listen/1080

By now, if you’ve listened to our podcast, you’ll be aware that Latin America has plenty of Spanish, African, Dutch, French, Italian and even British influence which has helped shape the region and make it what it is today… but did you know that Japan has also brought its important share of influence to Mexico and several South American countries, and that there are a ton of Japanese migrants who have even forgotten their native language?

Yes, believe it or not, over the decades, Japan has seen a large number of migrants and workers seek new lives in the warmer, more relaxed climates of Central and South America and, though not always easy, have become fully integrated into their Latino communities. Want to find out more? Listen to our latest episode of Learn Spanish with Stories – Japanese Influence in Latin America.

Transcript of this episode is available at: https://podcast.lingomastery.com/listen/1079

When it comes to dictators, Latin America has had quite its fair share of these, with both left and right-wing figures having subjugated and terrorized populations of several countries in the Caribbean and Central and South America throughout the decades. The Dominican Republic does not forget its own tyrant – Rafael Leonidas Trujillo, “Generalísimo” – who could basically do anything he wanted without consequence.

That is, until a brave family of fearless women decided to stand up against him and say the word he never thought he would hear: “No”. A tale of tragedy, hope and rebellion, this episode of our Learn Spanish with Stories podcast tells the tale of Las Mariposas: The Butterflies.

Transcript of this episode is available at: https://podcast.lingomastery.com/listen/1078

Peru is a land of wonderful food, fascinating historic sites and rich traditions… but not all of its history has been a bed of roses. You see, in 1970, a great but terrible event changed everything for this nation: starting as a soft swaying of the ground but soon transforming into the terrifying rumble and ripping of the earth which brought buildings crashing down into rubble and destructive landslides tearing through villages and cities…

The Ancash Earthquake, a 7.9 seismic event on the moment magnitude scale, is remembered not only as Peru’s most catastrophic natural disaster, but also the cause of the world’s deadliest avalanche. In this episode of Learn Spanish with Stories, we discover exactly what happened on that fateful day, and find out why experts fear it may happen again in the near future…

Transcript of this episode is available at: https://podcast.lingomastery.com/listen/1077

Unless you’ve switched off the news for the past decade, you will probably have heard of the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Venezuela. With tragedies ranging from food shortages in the mid 2010’s to millions of migrants desperately crossing borders all over North and South America, this once wealthy region has fallen to its knees… and all of it thanks to the Hugo Chavez and Nicolas Maduro governments.

But who exactly is Nicolas Maduro, and how did Chavez manage to accelerate the beginning of the end of this beautiful country? In this episode of the Learn Spanish with Stories podcast – written and narrated by Venezuelans – you will discover the story that led to Venezuela’s collapse, and find out just how a South American power was destroyed by the ambition and incompetence of a hateful, divisive leader.

Transcript of this episode is available at: https://podcast.lingomastery.com/listen/1076

After a successful first season, the Learn Spanish with Stories Podcast returns with Season 2! And in this season's premiere, we want to take you somewhere that is almost as unknown as it is underrated. We’re talking about Uruguay, South America’s most underrated nation.

Boasting one of the highest levels of human development, tolerance, peace, GDP growth and innovation, Uruguay is one of the most developed nations in Latin America and a growing economy with plenty to do and to see if you’re there as a tourist. But it doesn’t end there either, as you will join us in diving into its deep, bloody history, as we discover more about South America’s underrated “little giant”!

Transcript of this episode is available at: https://podcast.lingomastery.com/listen/1075

We have reached the Season 1 Finale of our podcast – and this episode is a bit different. Although we have typically told the story from a third-person perspective (apart from Episode 2 – Últimas Horas), this episode is a first-person tale by your narrator, Anthony, in which he explains just how Latin America can take over your heart and mind. With its natural beauty, wonderful locations, lovely people and fantastic variety of cultures, Latin America is a place to love.

And just as importantly, he explains the problems that you may face while there, alongside how Latin Americans deal with them to be among the happiest and positive people on the entire planet. 

The end of the first season of our Spanish-learning journey, this is Episode 36 of our Learn Spanish with Stories podcast – Why We Love Latin America. Enjoy… and see you in Season 2! (Coming in October 2022)

Transcript of this episode is available at: https://podcast.lingomastery.com/listen/1074

While Latin America has produced some of the most fascinating people in history, we cannot pretend that it hasn’t spawned its own monsters, as well. Merciless murderers, monstrous hunters of children and even bloodthirsty cannibals(!) have left a mark of pain and death on the Latin American legacy.

In this episode of the Learn Spanish with Stories podcast, we cover the stories of Pedro Nakada, Dorangel Vargas and Julio Pérez Silva, among others, as we speak of the men, women and even teenagers whose crimes have shocked the world at large.

Dive into this tale of bloodshed, agony and terror, as we learn more about Latin America’s Worst Serial Killers…

Transcript of this episode is available at: https://podcast.lingomastery.com/listen/1073