Do you know what’s one of the strangest things in Latin America? The fact that the biggest country in a Spanish-majority region (with a third of the total population in Latin America) speaks a different language: Portuguese.

You’d think that somehow, Brazil would have adopted Spanish like their neighbors, but they never did, and even today, it is a minority language among many others. So… why? Why does Brazil speak Portuguese?

Basically, it has a lot to do with its origins and how the colonized lands were divided when it came to the Portuguese and Spanish kingdoms, who now had practically full control of the South American continent.

…but I won’t go into the historic details here. It’s better if you watch the fascinating latest episode of the Learn Spanish with Stories podcast, instead!

Transcript of this episode is available at: https://podcast.lingomastery.com/listen/1176

Have you ever wondered why Paraguay isn’t really a big, star destination in South America? In fact, it’s actually one of the least talked about locations in all of Latin America despite its size and location.

Well, this might have a lot to do with the fact that it went through a truly terrible war in the 1800s that decimated its infrastructure and even its population (up to HALF of Paraguayans died!), leaving the country more or less in ruins, and in need of serious rebuilding.

And who were the culprits? That would be an interesting alliance between the Empire of Brazil (yes, it was an empire once), Argentina and Uruguay – in other words, what would be known as The Triple Alliance.

But what caused the War of the Triple Alliance, and why did it get so ugly? Find out in today’s episode of the Learn Spanish with Stories podcast!

Transcript of this episode is available at: https://podcast.lingomastery.com/listen/1175

Many of the best heroic stories end in tragedy. Such is the case of Kiki Camarena, the ace DEA agent with a magnificent sixth sense and an ability to sniff out the bad guys unlike any other.

Although his career was centered on U.S. law enforcement, this Mexican-born special agent was transferred to Mexico to keep an eye on the ongoing events of the criminal underworld and soon realized that things were getting really bad, really quickly, way before anyone else did.

Infiltrating himself into the world’s biggest marijuana plantation, thwarting Mexico’s biggest cartel in history at every turn, and even unveiling a massive international government conspiracy were only a few of the things Kiki managed to do within a few years… but this would end up costing him dearly.

Find out more about the life and death of agent Kiki Camarena in the latest episode of the Learn Spanish with Stories podcast!

Transcript of this episode is available at: https://podcast.lingomastery.com/listen/1174

Some people are born different. Talented, special, prodigies… whatever you want to call them, they are able to do things others could only dream of. Gustavo Dudamel is one such man – from a young age, he demonstrated an immense ability in the world of music.

This music conductor not only became the best of his nation, Venezuela, by the age of 18, but also soon dominated South America, Europe, and the entire world with his ability to lead orchestras of all shapes and sizes. 

Discover the story of this man who has not only broken all kinds of records in Venezuela but in music history, and who continues to amaze the world of art and music with his accomplishments, in the latest episode of the Learn Spanish with Stories podcast.

Transcript of this episode is available at: https://podcast.lingomastery.com/listen/1173

In 1985, Colombia was going through one of its most terrible periods in all its history. On one side, Pablo Escobar was destabilizing the nation with his drug trade and violence, and the Cali Cartel was growing in power. On the other, only two years before, a terrible earthquake had destroyed the city of Popayán, scarring the memories of local citizens and bringing fear to those around the nation.

But before the nation could recover, an even more horrific event struck – one that would be seared not only into the minds of Colombians, but of all humans worldwide. The brave, pleading eyes of Omayra Sanchez, the desperation of her rescuers, the pain and terror following a volcanic eruption and the avalanche of hot mud that followed…

This is the story of the eruption of Nevado del Ruiz: the Armero Tragedy, and all the horror - as well as the courage - that followed.

Transcript of this episode is available at: https://podcast.lingomastery.com/listen/1172

Welcome back to the Learn Spanish with Stories podcast by Lingo Mastery! We’ve arrived once more, this time with Season 3, to bring you the best in Spanish learning.

This time, we want to travel across the world, away from Latin America… all the way to the Philippines, where a very interesting Spanish-related development happened between the 1500s and late 1800s – the colonization of these enchanting islands by the Spanish Crown. 

In this episode, we want to tell you more about what consequences the Spanish influence brought to the Filipino culture, how they left their mark on religion but strangely not so much on the language, and what role the United States had to do in all of this (spoiler alert – it’s not a pretty one)!

Transcript of this episode is available at: https://podcast.lingomastery.com/listen/1171

We’ve reached the Season Finale of another wonderful season, and we want to thank you for your support all throughout the year, in which we became one of the biggest Spanish learning podcasts and reached thousands more than we ever had. And, to end Season 2, we want to take you on a journey like no other in this special DUAL-NARRATOR episode.

Have you ever felt the threat of burnout, wanted to travel across Latin America and discover the hidden gems and beautiful locations that are nowhere near the typical tourist traps everyone is going to? Well, we’ve got the perfect episode for you. In this episode, Anthony, struggling with serious burnout, receives an amazing gift from the mysterious Raquel, which will take him to some of the most incredible locations in the Latin American region. Guatemala, Belize, and more, you'll love it!

Join them in this special season finale episode that uses sensory descriptions to boost our storytelling techniques even further… and see you in the next season, Spanish learner!

Transcript of this episode is available at: https://podcast.lingomastery.com/listen/1170

When you think of the most impressive empires in the world, you cannot avoid thinking of the Aztec Empire, the powerful Mesoamerican civilization that conquered much of modern-day Mexico and was comprised of several million people. This is because, for a civilization that ruled over 500 years ago, the Aztecs accomplished many impressive feats in terms of medicine, society and technology, and were extremely skilled at the arts of diplomacy and war.

However… this civilization also had a great lust for conquest and blood, and both their practices of human sacrifices and slavery made them hated among local tribes that they had subjugated. Because of this, it is no surprise that when the Spanish colonizers arrived on their shores, a great alliance of indigenous people rose up to smash them. But how exactly did the Aztecs fall, and how was their society structured? Find out in this week’s episode of the Learn Spanish with Stories podcast!

Transcript of this episode is available at: https://podcast.lingomastery.com/listen/1169

In the history of Latin America, political extremes have caused great pain and suffering, especially to innocents throughout the rural areas of Central and South America. Communism has not been an exception to this rule. And in Peru, during the 70s, 80s and 90s, one particular Communist party made Peru an extremely dangerous and unwelcome place to live in. Led by a narcissistic leader who believed in using violence to further his goals, Sendero Luminoso is a fantastic example of terrorist groups hiding behind a “political party” to accomplish their goals.

With Abimael Guzmán at the helm, the so-called Shining Path recruited college students, teachers, and even high school teenagers as soldiers, forming an army that would later be the cause of bombings, kidnappings and murders, with drug trafficking and executions also being among their preferred activities. The government’s response was equally as violent, and war came to Peru. But how did this terrible story end, and what happened with Abimael and his army at the end? Find out in this action-packed episode of the Learn Spanish with Stories podcast!

Transcript of this episode is available at: https://podcast.lingomastery.com/listen/1168

Nayib Armando Bukele Ortez. You may love him, hate him, or wonder who we’re even talking about – but the truth is that Nayib Bukele has changed the direction of El Salvador’s history forever, simply by turning it from the world’s most dangerous nation to one of its safest, practically overnight. But we must ask the important question here: is he the Central American nation’s savior? Or is he a tyrant slowly controlling the population’s lives with an iron fist?

In this episode of the Learn Spanish with Stories podcast, we are going to discover not only what Nayib Bukele has accomplished in a few years, but everything that led (historically speaking) to today’s situation in El Salvador and why he was elected to begin with. After all, as the old adage goes: “Hard times create strong men”. Enjoy the episode!

Transcript of this episode is available at: https://podcast.lingomastery.com/listen/1167