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The Chapulín Colorado is a Mexican fictional superhero very popular all over Latin America. El Chapulín is a beloved character created in the 1970s by Roberto Gomez Bolaño: Short, clumsy, not particularly good looking or strong, but with a good heart and noble, el Chapulín is an antihero character that won the hearts of Spanish-speaking audiences of all ages. Originally born as a parody of the invincible, superhuman American heroes, el Chapulín Colorado charmed audiences with his human flaws and big heart.

Click play to hear more about this one-of-a-kind Mexican hero beloved across the Spanish-speaking world!

Luis Espinal Camps was not an ordinary priest. He was a Spanish Jesuit priest born in Mallorca. Poet, journalist, filmmaker, film critic, and political activist, he dedicated his life to advocating for social justice and equality. After his first TV show was repeatedly censored by Franco's regime, Camps went to Bolivia. There, Camps embraced his role as a human rights defender of the poor and challenger of the status quo, which earned him powerful enemies within the dictatorial government, the Church and the private sector.

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Tango was born in the impoverished areas of Buenos Aires where local, African and European musical styles merged to create a sound full of longing, love and sorrow. Over time, both the music genre and the dance crossed borders and were embraced by people of all classes the world over. In recent years, tango has attracted the attention of neuroscientists battling Parkinson's disease and other neurological disorders with encouraging results.

Click play to hear how the tango's characteristic rhythm, pacing, and coordinated physical movements have turned this Argentinean dance into a major neurological ally.

The Nobel laureate poet Pablo Neruda is without a doubt one of the most important and influential writers in Latin American literature and the world at large. He also had an active role in Chile's political life, serving as diplomat and senator for the Communist Party. In 1973, two years after receiving the Nobel Prize in Literature, Pablo Neruda died. Cancer was the official cause, but the timing of his death -less than two weeks after the coup d'état led by Augusto Pinochet- and other suspicious circumstances have raised serious doubts on its veracity.

Click play to learn more about Neruda's life, political commitment and the ongoing debate about the true nature of his death.

Maria Zambrano is one of the brightest minds in the Spanish-speaking region. She was an essayist and philosopher, originally from Spain. Her life was marked, first, by the Spanish Civil War and then by World War II, conflicts that forced her into exile and strongly influenced her work. She lived in Spain, France, Italy, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Chile and more places, all while constantly writing and publishing her groundbreaking and influential work in politics, the arts, and philosophy. Click play to hear more about the life, work, and legacy of this brilliant and restless woman thinker!

In Latin America the advancements of modern medicine and science coexist with ancient beliefs that blame different physical ailments on 'spiritual forces'. These evils usually manifest as negative energies found in certain locations (abandoned buildings, crossroads, accident sites, etc) or used by other people to cause harm. Perhaps el mal de ojo (evil eye) is the better known one, but all throughout Latin America we can find different types of spiritual afflictions that can only be cured -according to ancient beliefs- by very specific rituals involving herbs, cleanses, or prayers.

Click play to learn all about these powerful spiritual afflictions, their ancestral cures and how to protect yourself against them!

Pepe Mujica was not an ordinary politician. As a young man, his pursuit for equality, social justice, and the defense of human rights, led him to join a guerrilla group. As a consequence, Mujica spent 12 years imprisoned, beaten, tortured, and isolated during the Uruguayan dictatorship, but they could not break his spirit or his principles. Once democracy returned to Uruguay, Mujica dedicated his life to public service holding positions as congressman, senator, minister and president without ever betraying his beliefs and living in the same modest way in which he grew up. Tune in to our podcast to learn more about the inspiring life and legacy of the 'world's humblest head of state'.

The 'burundanga', better known in English as angel's trumpet, is a cursed flower. This beautiful, delicate, and fragrant flower is extremely toxic and it can cause hallucinations, disorientation, control loss, memory loss, paralysis, induce comas and even death. Historically, this flower was used for medical and shamanistic purposes only. However, in recent times, this toxic flower has gained popularity among criminals in many parts of South America, Mexico and even Europe who use it to easily manipulate their victims.

Click play to hear more about the tradition, benefits and dangers of the bewitching burundanga.

Jesús Arriaga, better known as 'Chucho el Roto', is a popular figure in Mexican culture. Class inequalities in Mexican society forced him into a life of crime early on, but Chucho el Roto became a bandit with a strict code of honor: steal from the rich, give to the poor, and no use of violence. A true master of disguise and deceit, soon enough the spectacular deeds of this 'Mexican Robin Hood' earned him the admiration of the lower classes and the loathing of the authorities.

Click play to learn more about this Mexican folk hero that has inspired countless songs, books, movies, documentaries and more, keeping the legend of 'Chucho el Roto' alive and well.

In Mexico, las historietas (comics) emerged in the 20th century as the ideal narrative media for the middle and lower classes. Thanks to their low cost, las historietas were able to reach a massive audience serving both as entertainment and as a reflection of the realities of Mexican society. Witty, sarcastic, and full of endearing characters, las historietas used humor to bring attention to important issues facing the nation.

Click play to hear about three emblematic historietas and their cultural significance in Mexican society.