In this episode of The Modern Mexico Podcast, host Nathaniel Parish Flannery talks to Douglas Coleman, the CEO of the Mexican Mining Center, about the risks affecting Mexico's mining sector. Coleman says that while companies are still exploring, new investment is slowing. He describes President Lopez Obrador's attitude towards the mining sector as "distrustful, antagonistic, and uninformed." Overall, he gives Lopez Obrador a "C-" for the quality of his mining sector policies. Coleman says that the most complicated issue for mining companies in Mexico to manage is relations with local indigenous groups. Coleman also discusses the impact organized crime groups have on mining companies' operations in Mexico.

On this episode of th Modern Mexico Podcast host Nathaniel Parish Flannery talks to historian Edward Shawcross about his new book, THE LAST EMPEROR OF MEXICO. Shawcross's book tells the story of an ambitious and somewhat delusional Austrian archduke named Maximilian von Hapsburg who set sail for Mexico with plans to invade and install himself as an enlightened despot in the mid 1860s. The history of Maximilian, an ambitious but flawed leader who had progressive ideals but embraced authoritarian tactics, can help us understand contemporary politics in Mexico. Shawcross discusses the similarities and differences between Maximilian and Mexico's current president, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.

Shawcross explains, “From my point of view it seems [Lopez Obrador] is tending towards populism and authoritarianism more than the kind of democracy that was envisioned in the 1850s and 1860s, this radical tradition of Mexican liberalism that is on the side of the people [and was] trying to create durable institutions.”

Host Nathaniel Parish Flannery talks to David Lida, author of the book "First Stop In The New World: Mexico City, The Capital of The 21st Century," about the turkey's path from Mexico to Europe, and back to the U.S. Is Mexico given enough credit for being the country that introduced turkey to the world? Most people in the U.S. don't realize that the turkey they eat on Thanksgiving has its roots in Mexico and is descended from birds raised by Aztecs. Nathaniel and David also discuss the best restaurants in Mexico City for eating turkey and the best turkey dishes within Mexican cuisine. Lida explains, "I think [the cross-bred genetics of U.S. and Mexican turkeys] is evidence of the symbiotic relationship between the U.S. and Mexico. There’s an enormous symbiosis between these two countries and turkeys are just another example of that.”

Host Nathaniel Parish Flannery talks to Human Rights Watch Mexico Researcher Tyler Mattiace about why Mexico is now the most dangerous country in the world for journalists and human rights activists.

Mattiace explains, "Mexico consistently ranks as one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists, usually it’s on par with countries where there is a war: Ukraine, Afghanistan. It’s also one of the top most dangerous places for human rights defenders and human rights activists.”

Asked to give President Lopez Obrador a grade for his approach to human rights, Mattiace says, "his worldview doesn’t center around human rights. I would give him an F, a bad grade."

In this episode of the Modern Mexico Podcast, host Nathaniel Parish Flannery speaks to Brookings Institution senior fellow Vanda Felbab-Brown about security issues in Mexico and why President Lopez Obrador is failing to meaningfully address the country's historically high murder rate. Mexico has soldiers in the streets but no meaningful law enforcement strategy for addressing violent crime.

“There is no law enforcement strategy other than sending forces to stand in the streets and more or less do nothing. That’s really disastrous, the violence has become brazen. The level of homicides is very intense, similar to what a country in an intense war experiences," Felbab-Brown explains.

In this episode of the Modern Mexico Podcast, host Nathaniel Parish Flannery speaks to Mexico historian Nathaniel Morris about his new book SOLDIERS, SAINTS AND SHAMANS: INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES AND THE REVOLUTIONARY STATE IN MEXICO'S GRAN NAYAR.

Morris says of President AMLO, "I’d give him…a B+ for presentation. He talks the talk. But, he’s getting a D for me when it comes to actual implementation of genuinely positive change at least in the communities I’ve been working in. It’s a lot of hot air."

In the third episode of the Modern Mexico Podcast, host Nathaniel Parish Flannery speaks to Mexico historian AS Dillingham about Day of the Dead and indigenous identity in Mexico. Dillingham's new book OAXACA RESURGENT: INDIGENEITY, DEVELOPMENT, AND INEQUALITY IN TWENTIETH-CENTURY MEXICO is about public schools, indigenous groups, and teachers unions in Oaxaca, Mexico. Dillingham explains that President "AMLO’s relationship to indigenous communities could be described as rhetorical, paternalistic and folkloric. I think he stands in a long tradition of Mexican politicians who don indigenous dress or make superficial references to indigenous communities while doing little to respectfully engage with those communities [and] their political traditions.”

MEXICO'S ECONOMY: In the second episode of the Modern Mexico Podcast, host Nathaniel Parish Flannery speaks to the Council on Foreign Relations' Mexico expert, Shannon O'Neil, about Mexico's economy. Shannon shares her pessimism about Mexico's President Lopez Obrador's economic management and explains why she gives him an "F" for his economic stewardship. “I’m less impressed than with the overall macroeconomics, it’s not a C it’s closer to failing. Let me lay me lay out why the grade is so bad. What has allowed Mexico to grow has been…growth and expansion of the private sector. The policy choices of this government are limiting that today but also into the future. This is most visible in the energy sector. You see the state stepping in more and more. That I think is detrimental to seeing expansion of [economic] activities and jobs," she explains.

On this episode host Nathaniel Parish Flannery talks to Mexico historian Benjamin T. Smith about his new book, THE DOPE: THE REAL HISTORY OF THE MEXICAN DRUG TRADE. During the discussion we talk about Mexico's narco history, the patterns that have emerged over decades, and the political power structures in Mexico that allow organized crime groups to operate. We also discuss President Andres Manuel Lopez Obador's security strategy and why he is struggling to reduce violence and crime in Mexico. Smith thinks that Lopez Obrador is trying to re-establish the same mutually beneficial relationships that Mexico's federal government maintained with drug trafficking groups during much of the 20th century. So far, however, he has failed to reduce violent crime. "It’s possible his solutions are 15 years too late. Mexico has changed. I’m not sure you can just do deals with big capos, major leaders of the so-called cartels and bring peace to Mexico. I don’t think that’s going to work," Smith explains.

Note: on March 25, 2025 a remastered audio file was uploaded which removes background music from the conversational portion of the podcast.