Over a week in November, Peru was led by three different presidents and the country experienced the largest protests of the past two decades. The situation has stabilised this month, so in episode 16 we explore the history and social issues that led up the recent changes in one of Latin America's most unpredictable countries. 

Music by Chogo El Bandeño used under an Attribution-NonCommercial ShareAlike 4.0 International Creative Commons

LINKS:

Peru’s democracy faces greatest trial since Fujimori: https://theconversation.com/perus-democracy-faces-greatest-trial-since-fujimori-dictatorship-after-two-presidents-are-ousted-in-one-week-150502

What comes next in Peru?: https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2020/12/peru-protests-presidents-vizcarra-sagasti.html

Peru president faces calls to quit after two protest deaths: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/nov/15/two-killed-as-huge-pro-democracy-protests-continue-in-peru

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It's been another huge week of news in Latin America, as the COVID-19 crisis is exacerbated by hurricanes and political strife. In this episode, Molly interviews Kylie Madry, an environmental journalist based in Latin America. Kylie discusses her reporting on access to water in Mexico City and the sargassum seaweed in Cancun, as well as the short and long-term tolls of Hurricanes Eta and Iota.

Music by Chogo El Bandeño used under an Attribution-NonCommercial ShareAlike 4.0 International Creative Commons

LINKS:

Guatemalans Have Had Enough: https://nacla.org/news/2020/11/24/guatemalans-have-had-enough

Climate Crisis in Honduras: https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/news-feature/2020/11/18/honduras-dry-corridor-hurricane-eta-iota-climate-change-food-security

Indigenous People in Guatemala Lead Their Own Hurricane Response: https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/news-feature/2020/11/10/guatemala-hurricane-eta-indigenous-response

Agricultores hondereños reportan perdidos a cuasa de COVID-19: https://www.telesurtv.net/news/agricultores-hondurenos-reportan-perdidas-coronavirus-20200819-0019.html

COVID and Water Access in Mexico City: https://www.climatechangenews.com/2020/10/01/covid-exposes-mexico-citys-water-access-gap-rich-poor/

Sargassum in Cancun: https://www.ccell.co.uk/20209

Kylie's website: https://kyliemadry.com/clips/

Costa Rica has long been seen as an example of social and political stability in Central America. This image has been questioned recently as citizens took to the streets in protest in early October.

The COVID-19 pandemic hit the already fragile Costa Rican economy hard, largely due to the slowdown of global tourism. The government responded by seeking a loan from the IMF, but the tax increases that the loan would bring, added to the rising levels of poverty and unemployment, sparked protests in the capital of San Jose.

Now it remains to be seen how the government of Carlos Alvarado will deal with the social unrest and the economic pressure the country is facing.

Music by Chogo El Bandeño used under an Attribution-NonCommercial ShareAlike 4.0 International Creative Commons

LINKS:

Nicaraguan refugees in Costa Rica: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-47934961

Tourism downturn: https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2020/may/20/costa-rica-absence-of-tourists-means-greater-need-for-food-banks

Conflicts Over Indigenous Land: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/09/world/americas/central-america-indigenous-conflicts.html

Costa Rica's Green New Deal: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/12/climate/costa-rica-climate-change.html

October protests: https://ticotimes.net/2020/09/29/protests-to-block-costa-rica-roads-cause-other-disruptions-wednesday

List of Hurricane Eta relief funds: https://twitter.com/_danalvarenga/status/1324570999896051713

I will teach You a Language podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/42hk8aErzVv6l3rXC8MmG9?si=4XcZJezrTfibbBtiI5I1xw

Bolivia went to the polls on Sunday after a tumultuous 2020, with MAS candidate Luis Arce emerging as the probable future president. In this episode, we interview journalist Amy Booth from La Paz about her reporting and what this election result means for the future. 

LINKS:

Bolivia's Biker Squads Are Like a 'Hyper-Armed Version of the Proud Boys': https://www.vice.com/en/article/4ay8p9/bolivias-biker-squads-are-like-a-hyper-armed-version-of-the-proud-boys

Delivery Apps Are Turning Gig Workers Into Drug Mules in Argentina: https://onezero.medium.com/delivery-apps-are-turning-gig-workers-into-drug-mules-in-argentina-605d24860308

No alcohol, no violence: life inside the Bolivian community led by women: https://www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-network/2017/feb/07/no-alcohol-no-violence-life-inside-bolivian-community-led-women-maria-auxiliadora-cochabamba

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Chile has been long considered one of the most stable economies in South America, but the protests that erupted in Santiago last year reflected the brewing social unrest in the country. 

Motivated by high inequality, corruption, poor public services and a desire for a new Constitution, protestors took to the streets in October 2019. One year later Chileans will have the opportunity to vote for a new Constitution to replace the current one, created during Pinochet's military regime.

In this episode we cover Chile's history, the 2019-20 protest and discuss the upcoming constitutional referendum.

LINKS:

Chile at the Barricades: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/10/12/chile-at-the-barricades

Chile's largest indigenous group sees opportunity in a new constitution: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/16/world/americas/chile-mapuche-constitution.html?smid=tw-share

Chile police using Covid-19 quarantine to crush protests: https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2020/aug/26/chile-police-covid-19-quarantine-protest

Refugee shock over Aussie role in Chile coup: https://www.sbs.com.au/news/refugee-shock-over-aussie-role-in-chile-coup

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The IMF predicted one of South America’s smallest countries would see the highest level of economic growth in the world in 2020. In this episode, we cover Guyana's history (as well as a little about its neighbours, French Guiana and Suriname) and discuss how this huge increase in income could affect the country.

LINKS:

Pandemic crushes Guyana’s dreams of big oil profits: https://theconversation.com/pandemic-crushes-guyanas-dreams-of-big-oil-profits-as-resource-curse-looms-over-oil-producing-nations-143715

The future of community forests in Suriname: https://news.globallandscapesforum.org/viewpoint/the-future-of-community-forests-in-suriname

In French Guiana, virus exposes inequality: https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/french-guiana-virus-exposes-inequality-colonial-legacy-71867467

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Not From Here podcast: http://www.notfromhere.com.au/

In this extended cut of our interview with Argentine-Canadian journalist Natalie Alcoba, we go deeper on Argentina's women's movement, including #NiUnaMenos and the fight for reproductive rights. Natalie also sheds light on the dynamic interaction between politics and feminism and what to expect in the near future in Argentina.

Music by Chogo El Bandeño used under an Attribution-NonCommercial ShareAlike 4.0 International Creative Commons

LINKS:

How Argentina rose up against the murder of women: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/jun/08/argentina-murder-women-gender-violence-protest

#NiUnaMenos five years on: https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2020/jun/04/niunamenos-five-years-on-latin-america-as-deadly-as-ever-for-women-say-activists 

Mexican Women Are Going on Strike on March 9 to Protest the Femicide Epidemic: https://www.teenvogue.com/story/mexico-womens-strike-femicide 

Argentina’s Economy Crumbles as Buenos Aires Lockdown Continues: https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/08/27/argentina-economy-crumbles-buenos-aires-lockdown-continues/ 

Argentina's Underground Abortion Network Won't Let a Pandemic Get in Its Way: https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/jgxapy/argentina-socorristas-abortion-access-during-covid 

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This week, we discuss a story we've been wanting to bring you since the the start of ¿Pero Por Qué?, about the history of Argentina and the impressive achievements of the women's movement there over the past five years. We also chat to Argentine-Canadian journalist Natalie Alcoba who is on the ground in Buenos Aires. 

Subscribe to hear the full interview with Natalie next week.

Music by Chogo El Bandeño used under an Attribution-NonCommercial ShareAlike 4.0 International Creative Commons

LINKS:

How Argentina rose up against the murder of women: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/jun/08/argentina-murder-women-gender-violence-protest

#NiUnaMenos five years on: https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2020/jun/04/niunamenos-five-years-on-latin-america-as-deadly-as-ever-for-women-say-activists

Mexican Women Are Going on Strike on March 9 to Protest the Femicide Epidemic: https://www.teenvogue.com/story/mexico-womens-strike-femicide

Argentina’s Economy Crumbles as Buenos Aires Lockdown Continues: https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/08/27/argentina-economy-crumbles-buenos-aires-lockdown-continues/

Argentina's Underground Abortion Network Won't Let a Pandemic Get in Its Way: https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/jgxapy/argentina-socorristas-abortion-access-during-covid

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/peroporquepodcast/ 
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This episode, ¿Pero Por Qué? is back with the story behind Colombian president Álvaro Uribe's political rise and fall, after he was recently put under house arrest by the country's Supreme Court. We start off with a brief history of Colombia, before covering the contemporary political landscape.

LINKS:

Radio Ambulante episode: https://radioambulante.org/audio/la-noche-mas-larga-1

El Hilo episode: https://elhilo.audio/podcast/uribe/

The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2020/jul/15/colombia-cartels-rebel-groups-coronavirus-lockdown-human-rights-watch

What the Coronavirus Pandemic Looks Like For Colombia's Former FARC Fighters: https://theconversation.com/what-the-coronavirus-pandemic-looks-like-for-colombias-former-farc-fighters-144018

Uribe Arrest Portends More to Come from Colombia’s Justice System: https://www.insightcrime.org/news/analysis/uribe-arrest-colombia-justice/

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Music by Chogo El Bandeño used under an Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International Creative Commons

On Episode 8, we discuss the latest COVID-19 news out of Puerto Rico and the ongoing political protests. We also dig into the fallout from the 2016 Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act (PROMESA), which established an external financial oversight board to manage the government debt crisis but has led to even more political and economic turmoil on the island.

LINKS:

The McKinsey Way to Save an Island: https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/04/mckinsey-in-puerto-rico.html

Puerto Rico's Economic Future Remains Clouded by the Debt Restructuring Plan: https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/oureconomy/puerto-ricos-economic-future-remains-clouded-by-the-debt-restructuring-plan/

Puerto Rico Wanted Tourists, But With Coronavirus Spiking, It Has Changed Plans: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/puerto-rico-wanted-tourists-coronavirus-cases-spiking-they-ve-changed-n1234624

Puerto Rico's Colonial Model Doesn't Serve Its People: https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/07/31/puerto-rico-united-states-colonial-model-ricardo-rossello-wanda-vazquez-statehood-referendum/

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