NACLA Radio

Under the Shadow Ep. 13 | Panama. US Invasion. Sep 04, 2024

On December 20, 1989, the United States invaded Panama with tens of thousands of troops. It was the largest U.S. invasion since Vietnam. The first U.S. military action since the fall of the Berlin Wall one month before. The testing ground for the Iraq wars. The U.S. invading forces destroyed 20,000 homes and killed hundreds of innocent Panamanians, dumping bodies into mass graves.

And the United States government and the mainstream media ignored or whitewashed the violence. The story told to the people of the United States was that of a tremendous success. The liberation of the people of Panama. All in the name of democracy and the so-called war on drugs.

In this episode, host Michael Fox takes us to the working-class Panama City neighborhood of El Chorrillo, which received the brunt of the U.S. attack. He meets with Panamanians who have long fought for justice and visits a former U.S. military barracks that was the first home of the U.S. School of the Americas.

This is Episode 13.

Under the Shadow is an investigative narrative podcast series that walks back in time, telling the story of the past by visiting momentous places in the present.

In each episode, host Michael Fox takes us to a location where something historic happened—a landmark of revolutionary struggle or foreign intervention. Today, it might look like a random street corner, a church, a mall, a monument, or a museum. But every place he takes us was once the site of history-making events that shook countries, impacted lives, and left deep marks on the world.

Hosted by Latin America-based journalist Michael Fox.

This podcast is produced in partnership between The Real News Network and NACLA.

Guests:
John Lindsay Poland
Olmedo Beluche
Celia Sanjur
Gilma Camargo
Grahame Russell
Pedro Silva
Efrain Guerrero
Omar Gonzalez

Edited by Heather Gies.

Sound design by Gustavo Türck.

Theme music by Monte Perdido and Michael Fox. Monte Perdido's new album Ofrenda is now out. You can listen to the full album on Spotify, Deezer, Apple Music, YouTube or wherever you listen to music.

Other music from Blue Dot Sessions.

Resources:

Emperors in the Jungle: The Hidden History of the U.S. in Panama (Duke, 2003), is John Lindsay Poland’s expose on the U.S. military involvement in Panama.

You can watch the documentary The Panama Deceptionhere.

Here are links to Democracy Now! coverage looking back over the years at the U.S. invasion of Panama: here,

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Under the Shadow Bonus 3 | The Legacy of Monroe Aug 13, 2024

In December 1823, U.S. president James Monroe delivered his State of the Union address in which he coined what would become known as the Monroe Doctrine. It was a framework that would later be used to legitimize U.S. intervention up and down the hemisphere.

But in those early days, Monroe’s statements were applauded by Latin American leaders as supporting their independence struggles. They were even embraced at Simón Bolívar’s Panama Congress of 1826.

In this episode, host Michael Fox travels to see what’s left of the former site of the Panama Congress, and then dives in to the past and present with Yale historian Greg Grandin.

They look at Simón Bolívar’s Panama Congress. But also Monroe and the legacy of U.S. imperialism in the region up until today, including U.S.-backed death squads, the Iran Contra scandal, Manifest Destiny, and so much more.

Under the Shadow is an investigative narrative podcast series that walks back in time, telling the story of the past by visiting momentous places in the present.

In each episode, host Michael Fox takes us to a location where something historic happened—a landmark of revolutionary struggle or foreign intervention. Today, it might look like a random street corner, a church, a mall, a monument, or a museum. But every place he takes us was once the site of history-making events that shook countries, impacted lives, and left deep marks on the world.

Hosted by Latin America-based journalist Michael Fox.

This podcast is produced in partnership between The Real News Network and NACLA.

You can see pictures of the Simon Bolivar monument, in Panama City, here.

Follow and support Michael Fox and Under the Shadow at https://www.patreon.com/mfox

You can follow historian Greg Grandin, on Twitter, here.

Below are links to Greg Grandin's books mentioned in the episode:

The Blood of Guatemala: A History of Race and Nation (2000, Duke University Press Books)
Empire's Workshop: Latin America, the United States, and the Making of an Imperial Republic(Holt, 2006)
The Last Colonial Massacre: Latin America in the Cold War (2011, The University of Chicago)
Kissinger's Shadow: The Long Reach of America's Most Controversial Statesman (2016, MacMillan)

You can find more of Greg’s books here.

Theme music by Monte Perdido.

Monte Perdido’s new album Ofrenda is out now. You can listen to the full album on Spotify, Deezer, Apple Music, YouTube, or wherever you listen to music.

Other music from Blue Dot Sessions.

Read NACLA: nacla.org
Support NACLA: nacla.org/donate
Follow NACLA on X: https://twitter.com/NACLA

Under the Shadow Ep. 12 | Panama Canal Jul 24, 2024

Panama is, perhaps, the country in the region that has suffered under the longest U.S. shadow—right from the very beginning. The country and the canal would become the United States’ most important asset in the region. The United States installed as many as 100 military bases throughout Panama, during World War II, and it was the base of Washington’s Latin American military training apparatus.

Panama was the heart of the United States in Latin America, and, as we will see, the United States ripped apart the country to do it: cleared and flooded cities, installed its own walls and fences, segregated its new territory into an apartheid system on foreign soil.

In this episode, host Michael Fox walks us up from the beginning, and takes us to what was once the United States’ most important asset in Latin America.

This is Episode 12.

Under the Shadow is an investigative narrative podcast series that walks back in time, telling the story of the past by visiting momentous places in the present.

In each episode, host Michael Fox takes us to a location where something historic happened—a landmark of revolutionary struggle or foreign intervention. Today, it might look like a random street corner, a church, a mall, a monument, or a museum. But every place he takes us was once the site of history-making events that shook countries, impacted lives, and left deep marks on the world.

Hosted by Latin America-based journalist Michael Fox.

This podcast is produced in partnership between The Real News Network and NACLA.

Guests:
John Lindsay Poland
Marixa Lasso
Olmedo Beluche
Celia Sanjur
Gilma Camargo
Claire Nevache-Weill

Edited by Heather Gies.

Sound design by Gustavo Türck.

Theme music by Monte Perdido and Michael Fox. Monte Perdido's new album Ofrenda is now out. You can listen to the full album on Spotify, Deezer, Apple Music, YouTube or wherever you listen to music.

Other music from Blue Dot Sessions.

Resources:

Emperors in the Jungle: The Hidden History of the U.S. in Panama (Duke, 2003), is John Lindsay Poland’s expose on the U.S. military involvement in Panama.

Erased: The Untold Story of the Panama Canal (Harvard University Press, 2019) is Marixa Lasso’s deep dive into the history of the Panamanian towns that were removed to make way for the Panama Canal Zone.

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Under the Shadow Ep. 11 | Costa Rica. Peace & Democracy—Maybe. Jul 09, 2024

Costa Rica has been called the “Switzerland of Latin America.” In this episode, host Michael Fox takes us on a dive into this so-called peaceful and democratic beacon for a region beset by dictatorships and violence. He looks at the myth Costa Rica has created around the elimination of the military and how the United States did its utmost to encourage San José to do its bidding.

This is Episode 11.

Under the Shadow is an investigative narrative podcast series that walks back in time, telling the story of the past by visiting momentous places in the present.

In each episode, host Michael Fox takes us to a location where something historic happened—a landmark of revolutionary struggle or foreign intervention. Today, it might look like a random street corner, a church, a mall, a monument, or a museum. But every place he takes us was once the site of history-making events that shook countries, impacted lives, and left deep marks on the world.

Hosted by Latin America-based journalist Michael Fox.

This podcast is produced in partnership between The Real News Network and NACLA.

Guests:
Ciska Raventós
David Díaz
Ivan Molina
Rotsay Rosales
Gustavo Fuchs

Edited by Heather Gies.

Sound design by Gustavo Türck.

Theme music by Monte Perdido and Michael Fox. Monte Perdido's new album Ofrenda is now out. You can listen to the full album on Spotify, Deezer, Apple Music, YouTube or wherever you listen to music.

Other music from Blue Dot Sessions.

You can see pictures of Costa Rica’s National Museum and Butterfly Garden here.

Follow and support journalist Michael Fox and Under the Shadow,and listen to his new podcast Panamerican Dispatch at https://www.patreon.com/mfox

Here’s the link for Kyle Longley’s book, Sparrow and the Hawk: Costa Rica and the United States during the Rise of Jose Figueres.

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Under the Shadow Bonus 2 | Chomsky on U.S. Intervention in Central America Jun 25, 2024

Noam Chomsky needs no introduction. He’s a celebrated linguist, who has long denounced U.S. empire at home and abroad. And he has a long relationship with Latin America.

Chomsky’s 1985 book, Turning the Tide: U.S. Intervention in Central America and the Struggle for Peace, was formative for many academics and activists analyzing the U.S. role in the region.

In 2012, NACLA awarded him the Latin America Peace and Justice Award for his ongoing commitment to social justice in the Americas.

Chomsky’s wife, Valeria Wasserman, is from Brazil. That’s where he is now. Chomsky suffered a stroke last year and was recently in a hospital in São Paulo, though he has since been released.

You can think of this as our small tribute to the great Noam Chomsky.

In this second bonus episode of Under the Shadow, host Michael Fox takes us to an October 26, 1983 lecture by Noam Chomsky, at the University of Colorado, on the impact of U.S. military intervention in Central America. It’s fascinating to look into what we knew then, even as the events were still unfolding, and hear the historical context from someone like Chomsky.

Under the Shadow is an investigative narrative podcast series that walks back in time, telling the story of the past by visiting momentous places in the present.

In each episode, host Michael Fox takes us to a location where something historic happened—a landmark of revolutionary struggle or foreign intervention. Today, it might look like a random street corner, a church, a mall, a monument, or a museum. But every place he takes us was once the site of history-making events that shook countries, impacted lives, and left deep marks on the world.

Hosted by Latin America-based journalist Michael Fox.

This podcast is produced in partnership between The Real News Network and NACLA.

You can listen to the first episode of Michael Fox’s new podcast, Panamerican Dispatch, here.

Follow and support him and Under the Shadow at https://www.patreon.com/mfox

Theme music by Monte Perdido.

Monte Perdido’s new album Ofrenda is out now. You can listen to the full album on Spotify, Deezer, Apple Music, YouTube, or wherever you listen to music.

Other music from Blue Dot Sessions.

Many thanks to PM Press for their permission to showcase the clip from Noam Chomsky’s 1983 talk in today’s bonus episode.

You can find Noam Chomsky’s lectures, talks, and writings, through PM Press here and here.

Michael Fox’s documentary films and book collaborations with PM Press are available here.

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Under the Shadow Bonus 1 | Hollywood and Empire Jun 24, 2024

In the late 1980s, British film director Alex Cox spent several months in Nicaragua filming his movie Walker, about the U.S. filibuster who invaded and took over the country in the mid-1800s.

As Cox puts it, he was trying to make “a revolutionary film in a revolutionary context." That did not go over well in Hollywood. The movie would get him blacklisted. Even today, you still can’t find the movie streaming.

In this bonus episode for Under the Shadow, host Michael Fox speaks with Cox about his 1987 movie Walker and his filming of the movie in Nicaragua in the 1980s. They also look at U.S. intervention and the film industry.

Under the Shadow is an investigative narrative podcast series that walks back in time, telling the story of the past by visiting momentous places in the present.

In each episode, host Michael Fox takes us to a location where something historic happened — a landmark of revolutionary struggle or foreign intervention. Today, it might look like a random street corner, a church, a mall, a monument, or a museum. But every place he takes us was once the site of history-making events that shook countries, impacted lives, and left deep marks on the world.

Hosted by Latin America-based journalist Michael Fox.

This podcast is produced in partnership between The Real News Network and NACLA.

Guests:
Alex Cox

You can listen to the first episode of Michael Fox’s new podcast, Panamerican Dispatch, here.

Follow and support him and Under the Shadow, at https://www.patreon.com/mfox

Theme music by Monte Perdido and Michael Fox.

Monte Perdido's new album Ofrenda is now out. You can listen to the full album on Spotify, Deezer, Apple Music, YouTube or wherever you listen to music.

Other music from Blue Dot Sessions.

Here is the Trailer to Alex Cox’s movie Walker: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XImi7fT7-J0

You can purchase the DVD to the movie Walker, here: https://www.amazon.com/Walker-Criterion-Collection-Marlee-Matlin/dp/B000ZM1MJ6

You can hear Joe Strummer’s soundtrack to Walker, here.

And, if you liked this episode, don’t forget to check out Episode 8 of Under the Shadow that looks back on William Walker.

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Under the Shadow Ep. 10 | 1980s Nicaragua. Part II: Contra War Jun 24, 2024

In the early 1980s, U.S. President Ronald Reagan launched a covert war to destroy the fledgling Sandinista revolution in Nicaragua. It was brutal: paramilitary war, CIA attacks, economic blockade, and more.

The war wreaked havoc on the country, killing tens of thousands and ravaging the economy. But an international solidarity movement stood up in response. Meanwhile, the Reagan government's hubris and drive to fuel its war on Nicaragua broke U.S. laws and led to a shocking scandal in Washington: the Iran Contra affair.

In this episode, host Michael Fox walks back into the 1980s, diving into the U.S. response to Nicaragua’s revolution and the international solidarity that pushed back against Washington’s intervention.

This is Part 2 of Episode 10.

Under the Shadow is an investigative narrative podcast series that walks back in time, telling the story of the past by visiting momentous places in the present.

In each episode, host Michael Fox takes us to a location where something historic happened—a landmark of revolutionary struggle or foreign intervention. Today, it might look like a random street corner, a church, a mall, a monument, or a museum. But every place he takes us was once the site of history-making events that shook countries, impacted lives, and left deep marks on the world.

Hosted by Latin America-based journalist Michael Fox.

This podcast is produced in partnership between The Real News Network and NACLA.

Guests:
Alex Aviña
William Robinson
Alex Cox
Marvin Ortega Rodriguez
Eline Van Ommen
Peter Kornbluh
Coleen Littlejohn
Grahame Russell
Jose Francisco Artola

Edited by Heather Gies.

Sound design by Gustavo Türck.

Theme music by Monte Perdido and Michael Fox. Monte Perdido's new album Ofrenda is now out. You can listen to the full album on Spotify, Deezer, Apple Music, YouTube or wherever you listen to music.

Other music from Blue Dot Sessions.

Follow and support journalist Michael Fox or Under the Shadow at https://www.patreon.com/mfox

You can also see pictures and listen to full clips of Michael Fox’s music for this episode.

See the full show notes here: https://nacla.org/under-shadow-episode-10-part-ii

Read NACLA: nacla.org
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Under the Shadow Ep. 10 | 1980s Nicaragua. Part I: Revolution May 14, 2024

The 1979 Nicaraguan revolution that overthrew a brutal U.S.-backed dictator ushered in a wave of hope in the Central American country. The new Sandinista government launched literacy and healthcare campaigns, carried out land reform and promised to improve the lives of all.

But the United States, under President Ronald Reagan, feared the dominos would fall across Central America, and they unleashed assault on the country: paramilitary war, CIA attacks, economic blockade, and much more.
In this episode, host Michael Fox walks back into the 1980s, to the overthrow of dictator Anastasio Somoza and the beginning of both the Sandinista government and the U.S. response.
This is Part 1 of Episode 10.
Under the Shadow is an investigative narrative podcast series that walks back in time, telling the story of the past by visiting momentous places in the present.
In each episode, host Michael Fox takes us to a location where something historic happened—a landmark of revolutionary struggle or foreign intervention. Today, it might look like a random street corner, a church, a mall, a monument, or a museum. But every place he takes us was once the site of history-making events that shook countries, impacted lives, and left deep marks on the world.

Hosted by Latin America-based journalist Michael Fox.

This podcast is produced in partnership between The Real News Network and NACLA.
Guests:
Alex Aviña
William Robinson
Marvin Ortega Rodriguez
Eline Van Ommen
Peter Kornbluh
Edited by Heather Gies.
Sound design by Gustavo Türck.
Theme music by Monte Perdido and Michael Fox
Other music from Blue Dot Sessions.

Follow and support journalist Michael Fox or Under the Shadow at https://www.patreon.com/mfox
You can also see pictures and listen to full clips of Michael Fox’s music for this episode.
For declassified documents on the U.S. Contra war on Nicaragua and the Iran Contra affair, you can visit Peter Kornbluh's National Security Archives here and here.
Eline van Ommen’s book, Nicaragua Must Survive: Sandinista Revolutionary Diplomacy in the Global Cold War (University of California Press, 2023),is available here.
For the 2007 documentary American Sandinista, you can visit the website of director Jason Blalock. jasonblalock.com
Here are links to the 1980 documentaries about Nicaragua's literacy campaign that I mention in this episode: La Salida and La Llegada.

Read NACLA: nacla.org
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Under the Shadow Ep. 9 | Nicaragua. Sandino. Apr 23, 2024

In 1912, the United States invaded Nicaragua and began what would become the longest U.S. occupation in Latin American history. The occupation would birth both a dictatorship and one of Latin America’s most important revolutionary heroes: Augusto Sandino.

Sandino would wage a six-year-long guerrilla insurgency to rid Nicaragua of the U.S. Marines. And he would win. The United States finally pulled out in 1933, the year before Sandino was assassinated by the forces of the man who would take power and rule for decades.

In this episode, host Michael Fox takes us on the trail of Augusto Sandino. We visit his hometown and then speak with University of Pittsburgh historian Michel Gobat about Sandino’s life, the U.S. occupation, and how it set the scene for everything that would come decades later, including the 1979 Sandinista Revolution.

Under the Shadow is an investigative narrative podcast series that walks back in time, telling the story of the past by visiting momentous places in the present.

In each episode, host Michael Fox takes us to a location where something historic happened — a landmark of revolutionary struggle or foreign intervention. Today, it might look like a random street corner, a church, a mall, a monument, or a museum. But every place he takes us was once the site of history-making events that shook countries, impacted lives, and left deep marks on the world.

Hosted by Latin America-based journalist Michael Fox.

This podcast is produced in partnership between The Real News Network and NACLA.

Guests:
Michel Gobat

Edited by Heather Gies.

Sound design by Gustavo Türck.

Theme music by Monte Perdido and Michael Fox

Other music from Blue Dot Sessions.

Follow and support journalist Michael Fox or Under the Shadow at https://www.patreon.com/mfox

For background, see Michel Gobat’s book Confronting the American Dream: Nicaragua under U.S. Imperial Rule (2005, Duke University Press)

Read NACLA: nacla.org
Support NACLA: nacla.org/donate
Follow NACLA on X: https://twitter.com/NACLA

Under the Shadow Ep. 8 | Nicaragua. William Walker. Apr 12, 2024

William Walker was a journalist, lawyer, and physician from Nashville, Tennessee, who in 1855 invaded Nicaragua with a few dozen troops and conquered the country.
At the time, he was one of thousands of private U.S. citizens who had their sights set on taking over foreign nations, all in the name of Manifest Destiny.
In this episode, host Michael Fox retraces the footsteps of William Walker as he recounts one of the most twisted stories of U.S. imperialism in Central America—a story that still has lasting repercussions for Latin America, the United States, and across the world.
Under the Shadow is an investigative narrative podcast series that walks back in time, telling the story of the past by visiting momentous places in the present.
In each episode, host Michael Fox takes us to a location where something historic happened—a landmark of revolutionary struggle or foreign intervention. Today, it might look like a random street corner, a church, a mall, a monument, or a museum. But every place he takes us was once the site of history-making events that shook countries, impacted lives, and left deep marks on the world.
Hosted by Latin America-based journalist Michael Fox.
This podcast is produced in partnership between The Real News Network and NACLA.
Guests:
Michel Gobat
David Díaz
Many thanks to Victor Acuña
Edited by Heather Gies.
Sound design by Gustavo Türck.
Theme music by Monte Perdido and Michael Fox
Other music from Blue Dot Sessions.
Follow and support journalist Michael Fox or Under the Shadow at www.patreon.com/mfox. You can also see pictures and listen to full clips of Michael Fox’s music for this episode.
For background, see Michel Gobat’s book Empire by Invitation: William Walker and Manifest Destiny in Central America(2018, Harvard University Press)

Read NACLA: nacla.org
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Under the Shadow Update 3 | Honduras. Hernández, Convicted Mar 26, 2024

A New York court has found former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernández guilty of drug trafficking and weapons possession. It’s a huge verdict that will likely see the former president imprisoned for life.

In the last episode of Under The Shadow, host Michael Fox looked deeply at Hernández’s time as president from 2014 to 2022, which many came to call a narco-dictatorship. He won office in a fraudulent election, consolidated unprecedented power, pushed a neoliberal sell-off, and carried out widespread human rights abuses.
In this Update 3, Fox looks at the New York trial that convicted him. What went down, what it meant, and what it means going forward for Honduras. And most important, what was missing — namely the role of the United States and Canada in propping up the Hernández regime.
For this update, we speak with Karen Spring, the co-coordinator of the Honduras Solidarity Network and host of the Honduras Now podcast. She was in the New York courtroom throughout Hernandez’s trial.
Under the Shadow is an investigative narrative podcast series that walks back in time, to tell the story of the past by visiting momentous places in the present.
In each episode, host Michael Fox takes us to a location where something historic happened — a landmark of revolutionary struggle or foreign intervention. Today, it might look like a random street corner, a church, a mall, a monument or a museum. But every place he takes us was once the site of history-making events that shook countries, impacted lives, and left deep marks on the world.
Hosted by Latin America-based journalist Michael Fox. Recorded in San Salvador, El Salvador.

This podcast is produced in partnership between The Real News Network and NACLA.

Guests: Karen Spring

Theme music by Monte Perdido. Other music from Blue Dot Sessions.

Follow and support journalist Michael Fox or Under the Shadow at https://www.patreon.com/mfox

Read NACLA: nacla.org
Support NACLA: nacla.org/donate
Follow NACLA on X: https://twitter.com/NACLA

Under the Shadow Ep. 7 | 2009 Honduras. Part II: Legacy of a Coup Mar 12, 2024

In June 2009, Honduras faced a devastating coup that shattered the country’s fragile democracy and sunk the country into violence, repression, and a decade-long narco-dictatorship.
But the people fought back.
In this continuation of Episode 7, host Michael Fox looks at the fallout of the 2009 coup in Honduras, walking from 2009 into the present. He takes us to Tegucigalpa to dive into the fraudulent U.S.-backed elections that ushered in a narco-dictatorship, as well as the resistance movement that, after years of struggle, ultimately did what it set out to do: remove the coup regime and return democracy to Honduras.
This is Part 2 of a two-part episode looking at the 2009 coup in Honduras and the aftermath.
Under the Shadow is a new investigative narrative podcast series that walks back in time, telling the story of the past by visiting momentous places in the present.
In each episode, host Michael Fox takes us to a location where something historic happened—a landmark of revolutionary struggle or foreign intervention. Today, it might look like a random street corner, a church, a mall, a monument, or a museum. But every place he takes us was once the site of history-making events that shook countries, impacted lives, and left deep marks on the world.
Hosted by Latin America-based journalist Michael Fox.
This podcast is produced in partnership between The Real News Network and NACLA.
Guests:
Bertha Oliva, COFADEH
Grahame Russell, Rights Action
Adrienne Pine
Felix Molina
Jesse Freeston
Karen Spring
Alex Main, CEPR
Karla Lara
Edited by Heather Gies.
Sound design by Gustavo Türck.
Theme music by Monte Perdido. Other music from Blue Dot Sessions.
Follow and support journalist Michael Fox or Under the Shadow at https://www.patreon.com/mfox
Click here to watch Jesse Freeston’s documentary, Resistencia, about the campesino struggle in the Aguan Valley.
Karen Spring covered the New York trial of Honduran former president Juan Orlando Hernández. Visit Honduras Now for updates, or follow @springkj and @HondurasNow on Twitter.

Read NACLA: nacla.org
Support NACLA: nacla.org/donate
Follow NACLA on X: https://twitter.com/NACLA

Under the Shadow Ep. 7 | 2009 Honduras. Part I: La Resistencia. Feb 27, 2024

In June 2009, a devastating coup shattered Honduras’s fragile democracy and sunk the country into violence, repression, and a decade-long narco-dictatorship.
But the people fought back.
In this episode, host Michael Fox dives into the tremendous resistance to the 2009 coup. He looks at the government of ousted president Manuel Zelaya, the Latin America Pink Tide movement of the 2000s, and the push back against Zelaya from Honduran elites and the United States.
This is Part 1 of a two-part episode looking at the 2009 coup in Honduras and the aftermath.
Under the Shadow is a new investigative narrative podcast series that walks back in time, telling the story of the past by visiting momentous places in the present.
In each episode, host Michael Fox takes us to a location where something historic happened—a landmark of revolutionary struggle or foreign intervention. Today, it might look like a random street corner, a church, a mall, a monument, or a museum. But every place he takes us was once the site of history-making events that shook countries, impacted lives, and left deep marks on the world.
Hosted by Latin America-based journalist Michael Fox.
This podcast is produced in partnership between The Real News Network and NACLA.
Guests:
Bertha Oliva, COFADEH
Grahame Russell, Rights Action
Adrienne Pine
Felix Molina
Jesse Freeston
Karen Spring
Alex Main, CEPR
Edited by Heather Gies.
Sound design by Gustavo Türck.
Theme music by Monte Perdido. Other music from Blue Dot Sessions.
Follow and support journalist Michael Fox or Under the Shadow at https://www.patreon.com/mfox
Watch Jesse Freeston’s documentary, Resistencia, about the campesino struggle in the Aguan Valley. https://vimeo.com/ondemand/resistenciacp
Karen Spring is currently covering the New York trial of former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernández. Visit Honduras Now for updates, or follow @springkj and @HondurasNow on Twitter.

Read NACLA: nacla.org
Support NACLA: nacla.org/donate
Follow NACLA on X: https://twitter.com/NACLA

Under the Shadow Ep. 6 | USS Honduras Feb 13, 2024

In the 1980s, Honduras was ground zero for U.S. operations in Central America. It was a base of operations for the U.S.-trained, funded, and backed Contras, in their war against Nicaragua’s Sandinista government. And it was a staging ground for U.S. military involvement and CIA missions in the region.

Within the country, that meant using the same strategy seen throughout the rest of the region: state repression, disappearances, torture, and the overwhelming presence of the United States.

In this episode, host Michael Fox visits Honduran family members of the disappeared and the walls of the largest U.S. military base in Central America.

Under the Shadow is a new investigative narrative podcast series that walks back in time, telling the story of the past by visiting momentous places in the present.

In each episode, host Michael Fox takes us to a location where something historic happened—a landmark of revolutionary struggle or foreign intervention. Today, it might look like a random street corner, a church, a mall, a monument, or a museum. But every place he takes us was once the site of history-making events that shook countries, impacted lives, and left deep marks on the world.

Hosted by Latin America-based journalist Michael Fox.

This podcast is produced in partnership between The Real News Network and NACLA.

Guests:
Bertha Oliva, COFADEH
Adrienne Pine
Karla Lara
Grahame Russell, Rights Action

Edited by Heather Gies.
Sound design by Gustavo Türck.
Voice Actors: Andalusia K. Soloff
Theme music by Monte Perdido. Other music from Blue Dot Sessions.
Follow and support journalist Michael Fox or Under the Shadow at https://www.patreon.com/mfox

Read NACLA: nacla.org
Support NACLA: nacla.org/donate
Follow NACLA on X: https://twitter.com/NACLA

Under the Shadow Update 2 | Bukele, Presidente Feb 07, 2024

El Salvador’s president Nayib Bukele has been reelected. While the official results aren’t yet in, with 70 percent of the ballots counted, Bukele has received an astounding 83 percent of the votes. He declared victory on Sunday night over X, formerly Twitter.
Host Michael Fox was on the ground for the election. He takes us there and sits down for an in-depth conversation with Dartmouth assistant professor of Latin American Studies Jorge Cuellar.
They look at the vote. Concerns for the country’s democracy. Bukele’s reelection, his image, plans, and what it all means going forward.
Under the Shadow is a new investigative narrative podcast series that walks back in time, to tell the story of the past by visiting momentous places in the present.
In each episode, host Michael Fox takes us to a location where something historic happened—a landmark of revolutionary struggle or foreign intervention. Today, it might look like a random street corner, a church, a mall, a monument or a museum. But every place he takes us was once the site of history-making events that shook countries, impacted lives, and left deep marks on the world.
Hosted by Latin America-based journalist Michael Fox.
Recorded in San Salvador, El Salvador.
This podcast is produced in partnership between The Real News Network and NACLA.
Guests: Jorge Cuellar.
Sound design by Gustavo Türck.
Theme music by Monte Perdido. Other music from Blue Dot Sessions.
Follow and support journalist Michael Fox or Under the Shadow at https://www.patreon.com/mfox
Use of Michael’s election day report, courtesy of the The World.

Read NACLA: nacla.org
Support NACLA: nacla.org/donate
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Under the Shadow Update 1 | Arévalo, Presidente Jan 30, 2024

Guatemala's new president Bernardo Arévalo was inaugurated on January 14. But it did not come off without a hitch. Outgoing opposition lawmakers did their best to try to stymie the swearing-in of Arévalo and some of his party members. Arévalo’s supporters rallied in Guatemala City.
As we looked at in Episode 2, Bernardo Arévalo is the son of Guatemala's first democratic leader Juan José Arévalo, who ushered in the Guatemalan Spring. Bernardo Arévalo has promised to lift Guatemala once again, but… even after winning the election, he faced constant legal maneuvers, led by the attorney general, that aimed to overturn the results and block his inauguration.
In this update to our reporting on Guatemala, host Michael Fox speaks with political scientist Jo-Marie Burt. She was on the ground in Guatemala City for Arévalo’s inauguration. In this update, she takes us there, and looks at what it means for Arévalo’s incoming government.
Under the Shadow is a new investigative narrative podcast series that walks back in time, to tell the story of the past by visiting momentous places in the present.
In each episode, host Michael Fox takes us to a location where something historic happened — a landmark of revolutionary struggle or foreign intervention. Today, it might look like a random street corner, a church, a mall, a monument or a museum. But every place he takes us was once the site of history-making events that shook countries, impacted lives, and left deep marks on the world.

Hosted by Latin America-based journalist Michael Fox.

This podcast is produced in partnership between The Real News Network and NACLA.

Guests: Jo-Marie Burt

Edited by Heather Gies.

Sound design by Gustavo Türck.

Theme music by Monte Perdido. Other music from Blue Dot Sessions.

Follow and support journalist Michael Fox or Under the Shadow at https://www.patreon.com/mfox

Read NACLA: nacla.org
Support NACLA: nacla.org/donate
Follow NACLA on X: https://twitter.com/NACLA

Under the Shadow Ep. 5 | El Salvador. Rebel Radio. Jan 23, 2024

Today, we look at Radio Venceremos—a grassroots guerrilla radio station that broadcast throughout El Salvador’s Civil War, denounced violent state repression, and inspired a nation.

In this episode, Michael Fox travels to San Salvador, where he visits the Museum of Word and Image, the home of the archives of Radio Venceremos. He hears from former members of the radio about the revolutionary project and the U.S. and Salvadoran military attempts to shut it down.

We look at what the museum means today, and also at its struggle to protect and preserve the past.
Under the Shadow is a new investigative narrative podcast series that walks back in time, to tell the story of the past by visiting momentous places in the present.
In each episode, host Michael Fox takes us to a location where something historic happened—a landmark of revolutionary struggle or foreign intervention. Today, it might look like a random street corner, a church, a mall, a monument, or a museum. But every place he takes us was once the site of history-making events that shook countries, impacted lives, and left deep marks on the world.
Hosted by Latin America-based journalist Michael Fox.
This podcast is produced in partnership between The Real News Network and NACLA.
Guests:
Carlos Henríquez Consalvi ("Santiago")
Lucio Vásquez ("Chiyo")
Jorge E. Cuéllar
Michael Beattie
Karla Lara
Edited by Heather Gies.
Sound design by Gustavo Türck https://twitter.com/coletivocatarse
Voice actors: Marc Steiner and Jasial Noor
Theme music by Monte Perdido https://open.spotify.com/artist/0nexDyQCZI89JH8zsYu5wa.
Other music from Blue Dot Sessions.
Chiyo and host Michael Fox performed two original songs that appear in this podcast. You can listen here and here.
You can read Chiyo’s book, Siete Gorriones, here: https://www.academia.edu/43531929/Siete_Gorriones
Documentary sound and Radio Venceremos archives and images are courtesy of the Museum of Word and Image. You can visit them at https://museo.com.sv/ or follow on Instagram @museodelapalabraylaimagen and Twitter @tejiendomemoria.
Follow and support journalist Michael Fox or Under the Shadow at https://www.patreon.com/mfox

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Under the Shadow Ep. 4 | El Salvador. The Innocent Victims. Jan 16, 2024

1980s El Salvador was ground zero for the U.S. intervention in Central America. The United States funneled over $6 billion to El Salvador in mostly military aid and police and security training throughout the country’s 12-year civil war, which lasted from 1980 until 1992.
The violence and the U.S. support for the country's bloody authoritarian regimes had a deadly cost, claiming the lives of and tens of thousands of innocent victims.
In this episode, journalist Michael Fox heads to San Salvador, where he visits a memorial for the innocent victims and looks at the legacy of El Salvador's armed conflict today.
Under the Shadow is a new investigative narrative podcast series that walks back in time, to tell the story of the past by visiting momentous places in the present.
In each episode, host Michael Fox takes us to a location where something historic happened—a landmark of revolutionary struggle or foreign intervention. Today, it might look like a random street corner, a church, a mall, a monument or a museum. But every place he takes us was once the site of history-making events that shook countries, impacted lives and left deep marks on the world.
Hosted by Latin America-based journalist Michael Fox.

This podcast is produced in partnership between The Real News Network and NACLA.

Edited by Heather Gies.

Sound design by Gustavo Türck: twitter.com/coletivocatarse

Theme music by Monte Perdido: open.spotify.com/artist/0nexDyQCZI89JH8zsYu5wa. Other music from Blue Dot Sessions.

Support journalist Michael Fox or Under the Shadow: www.patreon.com/mfox

Read NACLA: nacla.org
Support NACLA: nacla.org/donate
Follow NACLA on X: https://twitter.com/NACLA

Under the Shadow Ep. 3 | Guatemala. The Disappeared. Jan 09, 2024

In this episode, host Michael Fox visits a memorial for the disappeared on the outskirts of the Guatemalan town of San Juan Comalapa. He walks back in time to the 1980s, into the country’s genocide of Indigenous peoples, uncovering the overwhelming support from the United States and then President Ronald Reagan in the name of fighting the so-called “communist threat.”
Between 1962 and 1996, 200,000 Guatemalans were killed and 45,000 were forcibly disappeared. For the majority of families, the whereabouts of those lost loved ones are still unknown, even decades after security forces abducted them. Most of the victims of the conflict were Indigenous. Most of the perpetrators were members of government forces.
We also look at the upcoming inauguration of Bernardo Arévalo—the son of the country’s first democratic president—who is generating hope across the country. Arévalo is expected to be sworn in on January 14, 2024.
Under the Shadow is a new investigative narrative podcast series that walks back in time, to tell the story of the past by visiting momentous places in the present.
In each episode, host Michael Fox takes us to a location where something historic happened—a landmark of revolutionary struggle or foreign intervention. Today, it might look like a random street corner, a church, a mall, a monument or a museum. But every place he takes us was once the site of history-making events that shook countries, impacted lives and left deep marks on the world.
This podcast is produced in partnership between The Real News Network and NACLA.

Edited by Heather Gies.

Sound design by Gustavo Türck: twitter.com/coletivocatarse

Theme music by Monte Perdido: open.spotify.com/artist/0nexDyQCZI89JH8zsYu5wa. Other music from Blue Dot Sessions.

Watch the clip from Democracy Now! looking at the 200th Anniversary of the Monroe Doctrine: www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSO-t49t198
Support journalist Michael Fox or Under the Shadow: www.patreon.com/mfox

Read NACLA: nacla.org
Support NACLA: nacla.org/donate
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Under the Shadow Ep. 2 | Guatemala. United Fruit. Jan 09, 2024

In this episode, host Michael Fox looks at the outsized role of the U.S. banana corporation, United Fruit, in Central America. You literally can't talk about the history of Central America in the 20th Century without mentioning it. Fox goes in search of the legacy of the company today. He travels to the Guatemalan town of Tiquisate, which was built by the company. We dig into the past and the 1954 CIA coup, which overthrew the democratically elected president in the name of U.S. corporate interests.
We also look at the upcoming inauguration of Bernardo Arévalo—the son of the country’s first democratic president—who is set to be sworn in on January 14, 202
Under the Shadow is a new investigative narrative podcast series that walks back in time, to tell the story of the past by visiting momentous places in the present.
In each episode, host Michael Fox takes us to a location where something historic happened—a landmark of revolutionary struggle or foreign intervention. Today, it might look like a random street corner, a church, a mall, a monument or a museum. But every place he takes us was once the site of history-making events that shook countries, impacted lives and left deep marks on the world.
Hosted by Latin America-based journalist Michael Fox.

This podcast is produced in partnership between The Real News Network and NACLA.

Edited by Heather Gies.

Sound design by Gustavo Türck: twitter.com/coletivocatarse

Theme music by Monte Perdido: open.spotify.com/artist/0nexDyQCZI89JH8zsYu5wa. Other music from Blue Dot Sessions.

Watch the clip from Democracy Now! looking at the 200th Anniversary of the Monroe Doctrine: www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSO-t49t198
Support journalist Michael Fox or Under the Shadow: www.patreon.com/mfox

Read NACLA: nacla.org
Support NACLA: nacla.org/donate
Follow NACLA on X: https://twitter.com/NACLA

Under the Shadow Ep. 1 | The Beginning: Monroe and Migration Jan 09, 2024

Two hundred years ago, on December 2, 1823, then-president James Monroe delivered his State of the Union address to Congress. In his address, he laid out what would become both one of the most consequential and devastating ideas for Latin America—the Monroe Doctrine.
We look back on the history of the Monroe Doctrine and the devastating impact on the region. The list of U.S. invasions, occupations, coups and sanctions is endless. Hundreds. From Mexico to Panama. The Caribbean. Colombia to the tip of Chile and Argentina. No country in Latin America has remained free from the shadow hanging over them. The shadow of the United States. The shadow of the Monroe Doctrine.
In the second half of the episode, we meet migrants walking North toward the United States on the edge of Central America. A very real manifestation, right now, of the never-ending impact of U.S. intervention in Latin America.
Under the Shadow is a new investigative narrative podcast series that walks back in time, to tell the story of the past, by visiting momentous places in the present.
In each episode, host Michael Fox takes us to a location where something historic happened — a landmark of revolutionary struggle or foreign intervention. Today, it might look like a random street corner, a church, a mall, a monument or a museum. But every place he takes us was once the site of history-making events that shook countries, impacted lives and left deep marks on the world.
Hosted by Latin America-based journalist Michael Fox.
This podcast is produced in partnership between The Real News Network and NACLA.

Edited by Heather Gies.

Sound design by Gustavo Türck: twitter.com/coletivocatarse

Theme music by Monte Perdido: open.spotify.com/artist/0nexDyQCZI89JH8zsYu5wa. Other music from Blue Dot Sessions.

Watch the clip from Democracy Now! looking at the 200th Anniversary of the Monroe Doctrine: www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSO-t49t198
Support journalist Michael Fox or Under the Shadow: www.patreon.com/mfox

Read NACLA: nacla.org
Support NACLA: nacla.org/donate
Follow NACLA on X: https://twitter.com/NACLA

Brazil on Fire: An Autopsy of Bolsonaro's Failed Coup (Update 3) Jan 24, 2023

On Jan. 8th, thousands of Bolsonaro supporters stormed Brazil's capital in a failed attempt to spark a military coup. In scenes that drew instant comparison to the events of Jan. 6th, 2021 in the US, Bolsonaro supporters smashed windows, destroyed artwork, and even climbed on the roofs of government buildings before being rounded up and arrested en masse by security forces.
In this update to Brazil on Fire, Michael Fox examines the significance of the failed coup in scattering pro-Bolsonaro forces and uniting the country behind Lula, who has already embarked on an aggressive agenda to undo his predecessor's legacy. While Lula may be triumphant for now, the battle for Brazil's future is far from settled. As Bolsonaro licks his wounds in exile in Florida, the question remains as to how he might scheme with his US-based allies in the future. Historian Kristin Kobes Du Mez returns to the show to delve deeper into the links between Brazil and the US's evangelical right and neofascist movements.
Hosted by Latin America-based journalist Michael Fox.

This podcast is produced in partnership between The Real News Network and NACLA.

Follow NACLA at nacla.org and sign up for our weekly updates at nacla.org/newsletter
Follow The Real News at therealnews.com

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Brazil on Fire: Lula Presidente (Update 2) Nov 16, 2022

Former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won the Brazilian presidency on October 30th. He defeated far-right president Jair Bolsonaro by just over 2 million votes. Tens of thousands of Lula supporters descended on Sao Paulo’s Paulista Avenue for huge celebrations. Brazil on Fire host Michael Fox was there and he takes us to the streets.

But Bolsonaro supporters were also mobilizing. They shut down highways and called for the military to intervene.

In this second update to Brazil on Fire, we look at Lula’s victory, Bolsonaro’s disinformation campaign that is keeping Bolsonaro’s supporters in the streets, Bolsonaro’s ties to Donald Trump’s former White House strategist Steve Bannon, and how Bannon is trying to spread a fake news fraud narrative to bolster Bolsonaro and divide Brazil, like the United States after Trump’s 2020 defeat. We hear from UFSC International Relations professor Camila Feix Vidal about the shared tactics of the international far-right and University of Virginia Media Studies professor David Nemer about Bolsonaro's unprecedented use of fake news and disinformation in the election.

This is Brazil on Fire, a podcast about Brazil’s descent toward fascism under President Jair Bolsonaro. Over these six episodes, we look at Bolsonaro’s far-right government that has set the country ablaze, and how the United States helped him do it. We visit the birthplace of Brazilian Nazism, evangelical churches, and Indigenous villages in the Amazon.

Hosted by Latin America-based journalist Michael Fox.

This podcast is produced in partnership between The Real News Network and NACLA.

Edited by Heather Gies.

Sound design by Gustavo Türck.

Theme music by Monte Perdido.

Read NACLA: nacla.org
Support NACLA: nacla.org/donate
Follow NACLA on X: https://twitter.com/NACLA

Brazil on Fire: Elections Update with BrasilWire’s Brian Mier Oct 14, 2022

The first round of Brazil’s elections has come and gone. As expected, former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was the big winner, with 48 percent. But he fell short of winning outright. Current president Jair Bolsonaro exceeded expectations and came in just a handful of points behind the former president. And it’s going to mean weeks of intense campaigning as Bolsonaro has now become a real contender for the second-round election at the end of the month.

In this first update to Brazil on Fire, we look at what it all means and how things stand ahead of the runoff election on October 30. In particular, we analyze the media spin in the wake of the first-round vote in an in-depth interview with Brian Mier, editor of the English-language news site BrasilWire.

This is Brazil on Fire, a podcast about Brazil’s descent toward fascism under President Jair Bolsonaro. Over these six episodes we look at Bolsonaro’s far-right government that has set the country ablaze, and how the United States helped him do it. We’ll visit the birthplace of Brazilian Nazism, evangelical churches, and Indigenous villages in the Amazon.

Hosted by Latin America-based journalist Michael Fox.

This podcast is produced in partnership between The Real News Network and NACLA.
Get weekly updates from NACLA: nacla.org/newsletter
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NACLA
Support our work! nacla.org/donate
Looking for more in-depth analysis on Latin America? Subscribe to the quarterly NACLA Report: nacla.org/subscribe
Follow The Real News: https://therealnews.com/

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Brazil on Fire Episode 6: Amazon up in Smoke Sep 27, 2022

The Amazon is a place that both Brazil’s former military regime and President Jair Bolsonaro have eyed with dreams of development, looking to take advantage of bountiful resources.

It’s a place where Bolsonaro’s deconstruction of state institutions is wreaking havoc. Where illegal and armed actors are pushing into formerly protected areas and plundering the land to make a quick profit. Where Indigenous people are constantly under threat, whether staring down the barrel of a gun, fires, or Covid-19. Where their territories and their way of life are under attack—the invaders slowly eating away at the forests that have given them life for generations.

And where Bolsonaro has been empowering those behind the devastation.

There is no other place in Brazil that better symbolizes the destruction that Bolsonaro has wrought on the country.

The Amazon is under attack. The fires are just the most visible sign.

And that is where we go, in this sixth episode.

This is Brazil on Fire, a podcast about Brazil’s descent toward fascism under President Jair Bolsonaro. Over these six episodes we look at Bolsonaro’s far-right government that has set the country ablaze, and how the United States helped him do it. We’ll visit the birthplace of Brazilian Nazism, evangelical churches, and Indigenous villages in the Amazon.

Hosted by Latin America-based journalist Michael Fox.
This podcast is produced in partnership between The Real News and NACLA.

Edited by Heather Gies

Sound design by Gustavo Türck https://twitter.com/coletivocatarse

Theme music by Monte Perdido https://open.spotify.com/artist/0nexDyQCZI89JH8zsYu5wa

Get weekly updates from NACLA: nacla.org/newsletter

Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NACLA

Support our work! nacla.org/donate

Looking for more in-depth analysis on Latin America? Subscribe to the quarterly NACLA Report: nacla.org/subscribe

Follow The Real News: https://therealnews.com/

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Brazil on Fire Episode 5: Ghosts of the Past Sep 20, 2022

Brazil’s military dictatorship was a dark time in the country’s history. Hundreds were killed. Thousands jailed and tortured. And it is an era that President Jair Bolsonaro remembers with nostalgia. It's the place where he got his start and something he has long championed as being worthy of returning to.

As president, Bolsonaro has called for the closure of Congress and the Supreme Court, marched with supporters to demand military intervention, and appointed more military officials to his government than any leader since the end of the dictatorship.

In this episode, we dive headfirst into Brazil’s military regime that ran the country from 1964 through to 1985. We’ll look at the country’s failure to reckon with the past and Bolsonaro’s steps to push Brazil back in that direction.

This is Brazil on Fire. A podcast about Brazil’s descent toward fascism under President Jair Bolsonaro. Over these six episodes we look at Bolsonaro’s far-right government that has set the country ablaze, and how the United States helped him do it. We’ll visit the birthplace of Brazilian Nazism, evangelical churches, and Indigenous villages in the Amazon.

Featuring host Latin America-based journalist Michael Fox.

This podcast is produced in partnership between The Real News and NACLA.

Edited by Heather Gies

Sound design by Gustavo Türck https://twitter.com/coletivocatarse

Theme music by Monte Perdido

https://open.spotify.com/artist/0nexDyQCZI89JH8zsYu5wa

Get weekly updates from NACLA: nacla.org/newsletter

Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NACLA

Support our work! nacla.org/donate

Looking for more in-depth analysis on Latin America? Subscribe to the quarterly NACLA Report: nacla.org/subscribe

Follow The Real News: https://therealnews.com/

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Brazil on Fire Episode 4: Nazis on Your Street Sep 14, 2022

Brazil has a long and complicated history with fascism, going back to the early 20th century. Far-right and white supremacist groups have been emboldened by President Jair Bolsonaro—with some members of his own cabinet openly sporting Nazi tattoos. They’ve unleashed online attacks, pushed fake news and misinformation in favor of Bolsonaro, and threatened Brazil’s Supreme Court and its justices. But the country’s top court is pushing back.

In this episode, we look at Brazil’s troubled past of reactionary fascist forces, and how Bolsonaro’s rise unleashed them anew.

This is Brazil on Fire, a podcast about Brazil’s descent toward fascism under President Jair Bolsonaro. Over these six episodes we look at Bolsonaro’s far-right government that has set the country ablaze, and how the United States helped him do it. We’ll visit the birthplace of Brazilian Nazism, evangelical churches, and Indigenous villages in the Amazon.

Featuring host Latin America-based journalist Michael Fox.

This podcast is produced in partnership between The Real News and NACLA.

Sound design by Gustavo Türck https://twitter.com/coletivocatarse

Theme music by Monte Perdido. https://open.spotify.com/artist/0nexDyQCZI89JH8zsYu5wa
Get weekly updates from NACLA: nacla.org/newsletter
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NACLA
Support our work! nacla.org/donate
Looking for more in depth analysis on Latin America? Subscribe to the quarterly NACLA Report: nacla.org/subscribe
Follow The Real News: https://therealnews.com/

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Brazil on Fire Episode 3: God Above Everyone – Good versus Evil Sep 06, 2022

Jair Bolsonaro could not have won the presidency without the support of one very important group: Evangelical Christians. There is, perhaps, no other group that Bolsonaro has so vocally courted, or that has been so loyal to the president. And they remain key for Bolsonaro’s hopes of recapturing the presidency this year.

In this episode, we visit those spreading the gospel for Bolsonaro. And look at how Bolsonaro and his allies are pushing a religious war of good versus evil, with dangerous repercussions.

This is Brazil on Fire. A podcast about Brazil’s descent toward fascism under President Jair Bolsonaro. Over these six episodes we look at Bolsonaro’s far-right government that has set the country ablaze, and how the United States helped him do it.

Featuring host Latin America-based journalist Michael Fox.

This podcast is produced in partnership between The Real News and NACLA.

Sound design by Gustavo Türck https://twitter.com/coletivocatarse

Sign up for NACLA's newsletter: nacla.org/newsletter
Follow The Real News: https://therealnews.com/
Theme music by Monte Perdido. https://open.spotify.com/artist/0nexDyQCZI89JH8zsYu5wa

Portions of this episode were previously aired in a series on nationalism and religion that Michael Fox produced for PRI’s The World. https://theworld.org/categories/sacred-nation
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Brazil on Fire Episode 2: Free Lula Sep 06, 2022

The election of President Jair Bolsonaro was never a foregone conclusion. For most of that electoral season, someone else was ahead in the polls. But he was jailed on supposed corruption charges by a biased judge, six months out from the election, and blocked from running.

In this episode, we look at the fight to free former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva from prison, the corruption investigation that jailed him, the role of the United States, and what it all means ahead of the 2022 election, as Lula again leads in the polls.

This is Brazil on Fire. A podcast about Brazil’s descent toward fascism under President Jair Bolsonaro. Over these six episodes we look at Bolsonaro’s far-right government that has set the country ablaze, and how the United States helped him do it. We’ll visit the birthplace of Brazilian Nazism, evangelical churches, and Indigenous villages in the Amazon.

Featuring host Latin America-based journalist Michael Fox.

This podcast is produced in partnership between The Real News and NACLA.

Sound design by Gustavo Türck https://twitter.com/coletivocatarse

Sign up for NACLA's newsletter: nacla.org/newsletter
Follow The Real News: https://therealnews.com/
Theme music by Monte Perdido. https://open.spotify.com/artist/0nexDyQCZI89JH8zsYu5wa
Get weekly updates from NACLA: nacla.org/newsletter
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NACLA
Support our work! nacla.org/donate
Looking for more in depth analysis on Latin America? Subscribe to the quarterly NACLA Report: nacla.org/subscribe

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Brazil on Fire Episode 1: Violence and Culture War Sep 06, 2022

As candidate Jair Bolsonaro neared the presidency in 2018, violence rippled across Brazil, mostly perpetrated by Bolsonaro supporters. Hundreds of threats and attacks, including several killings, were reported in the weeks and months leading up to the election. Bolsonaro's hateful rhetoric and fake news machine spurred on the violence, painting the election as a battle for the soul of the country. With key issues like family values and security, Bolsonaro tapped into a growing culture war aimed not at winning a democratic debate, but eliminating opponents.

This episode looks at Bolsonaro’s most ardent supporters, and how a culture war born from the United States inspired a wave of political violence that forced people to flee Brazil in fear for their lives.

This is Brazil on Fire. A podcast about Brazil’s descent toward fascism under president Jair Bolsonaro. Over these six episodes we look at Bolsonaro’s far-right government that has set the country ablaze, and how the United States helped him do it. We’ll visit the birthplace of Brazilian Nazism, evangelical churches, and Indigenous villages in the Amazon.

Featuring host Latin America-based journalist Michael Fox.

This podcast is produced in partnership between The Real News and NACLA.

Sound design by Gustavo Türck https://twitter.com/coletivocatarse

Sign up for NACLA's newsletter: nacla.org/newsletter
Follow The Real News: https://therealnews.com/
Theme music by Monte Perdido. https://open.spotify.com/artist/0nexDyQCZI89JH8zsYu5wa
Get weekly updates from NACLA: nacla.org/newsletter
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NACLA
Support our work! nacla.org/donate
Looking for more in depth analysis on Latin America? Subscribe to the quarterly NACLA Report: nacla.org/subscribe

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Brazil on Fire Episode 0: Democracy and Dictatorship Aug 16, 2022

Jair Bolsonaro's presidency has been a disaster for Brazil. Over 650,000 dead from Covid-19. Amazon deforestation. Rising fascism. Budget cuts. Fake news. Threats to democracy.
In this introduction to Brazil on Fire, host journalist Michael Fox sets the scene for the podcast by looking back on the last four years and why understanding Bolsonaro's rise is important now, ahead of Brazil's presidential election on October 2.
This is Brazil on Fire. A new podcast about Brazil’s descent toward fascism under Bolsonaro. Over the coming six episodes we’ll look at Bolsonaro’s far-right government that set the country ablaze, and how the United States helped him do it.
Featuring host Latin America-based journalist Michael Fox.
Produced in partnership by The Real News Network and the North American Congress on Latin America (NACLA).
Sign up for NACLA's newsletter: nacla.org/newsletter
Follow The Real News: https://therealnews.com/
Theme music by Monte Perdido. https://open.spotify.com/artist/0nexDyQCZI89JH8zsYu5wa
Get weekly updates from NACLA: nacla.org/newsletter
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NACLA
Support our work! nacla.org/donate
Looking for more in depth analysis on Latin America? Subscribe to the quarterly NACLA Report: nacla.org/subscribe

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Coming soon: Brazil on Fire Aug 03, 2022

First episodes coming this September!
Jair Bolsonaro's rise was unimaginable just a few years before his election as president of Brazil. With an impending showdown between the incumbent Bolsonaro and popular left-wing former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, many suspect Bolsonaro may resort to a January 6-style coup to retain power.
In this special limited podcast series from Latin America-based journalist Michael Fox, we’ll dive into the story of Bolsonaro's rise, the return of Brazilian fascism, and the unseen hand of the United States in Brazil's turbulent recent history.
Produced in partnership by The Real News and the North American Congress on Latin America (NACLA).
The Real News Network: https://therealnews.com
NACLA: https://nacla.org

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¿Quién controla los medios de comunicación en América Latina? May 26, 2022

Mas de 15 años después de la publicación de Periodistas y magnates, el libro de Guillermo Mastrini y Marín Becerra que ofreció un análisis de la concentración mediática en Sudamérica y México, en un campo mediático atravesado por la creciente digitalización, nos preguntamos: ¿Qué tanto ha cambiado la concentración mediática en América Latina? En este conversatorio, Gustavo Fuchs habla con cuatro investigadores de los medios de comunicación en la región: Guillermo Mastrini y Martín Becerra, ambos profesores en la Universidad Nacional de Quilmes y la Universidad de Buenos Aires, con Isabel Ramos de FLASCO en Ecuador y con Andrea Cristancho Cuesta, profesora en la Universidad Centroamericana José Simeón Cañas (UCA) en El Salvador.
Gustavo Fuchs, el presentador de este episodio, es estudiante de doctorado en la Universidad de Texas–Austin. Su trabajo se centra en la la propiedad de los medios de comunicación, comunicación política, los medios de comunicación religiosos y los derechos humanos.

Una versión editada de este conversatorio fue publicado en inglés en el número del NACLA Report titulado "Dispatches from the Field: Covering and Uncovering Latin America's Media Struggles."
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Read the interview in English.
More than 15 years after the publication of Periodistas y magnates, a landmark study mapping media ownership in South America and Mexico spearheaded by Guillermo Mastrini y Martín Becerra, and amid increasing digitization of the media landscape, is Latin America’s media landscape becoming even more concentrated? In this conversation, Gustavo Fuchs speaks with four experts on media in the region: Martín Becerra and Guillermo Mastrini, both professors at the Universidad Nacional de Quilmes and Universidad de Buenos Aires, Isabel Ramos of FLACSO Ecuador, and Andrea Cristancho Cuesta, professor at the Central American University José Simeón Cañas (UCA) in El Salvador.
Gustavo Fuchs, the host of this issue, is a PhD student at the University of Texas at Austin. His research focuses on media ownership, political communication, religious media, and human rights.
An edited version of this interview was published in English in the Winter 2021 issue of the NACLA Report, "Dispatches from the Field: Covering and Uncovering Latin America's Media Struggles."

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New Energy Empires Feb 16, 2018

Helen talks to guest editor and contributor Bret Gustafson about Caribbean energy structures, and how US administrations from Reagan to now have pushed fossil fuel dependency in the Caribbean as a “national security” concern.

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Odebrecht’s Original Sins Jan 17, 2018

Helen takes a deep dive with Jonathan Devore, author of the latest NACLA Report’s feature essay on the early days of the Brazilian Odebrecht Company in rural Bahia. Rural residents’ memories and perspective on Odebrecht add new dimensions to the Petrobras scandal, which is now reverberating throughout the region— How does bringing in often overlooked voices change the way we tell histories of political scandals?

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Somos fantasías Oct 23, 2017

Andrea Bolivar did most of her dissertation research in Chicago, spending time with and learning from the trans Latina women whose experiences in the sex industry have emerged from a confluence of transphobia, racism, and criminalization.

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49.3.2 From Standing Rock to Yanacocha: Policing and Environmental Activism Oct 10, 2017

NACLA Report contributor Moira Birss talks with Helen about how private companies and governments in Latin America have criminalized environmental human rights defenders, and how a confluence of violence, harassment, smear campaigns, and policing tactics threatens to silence environmental justice movements throughout the Americas.

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49.3.1: Marisol LeBrón on Policing and Recovery in Puerto Rico Oct 02, 2017

Helen speaks with NACLA Report contributor Marisol LeBrón, whose article for the latest issue of the Report traces the Puerto Rican state’s policing and surveillance programs from the 1950s to now. They discuss the internal complexities at play in Puerto Rican politics beyond the colonial dynamic between the U.S. government and Puerto Rico, and Marisol explains how policing tactics were used to undermine the Puerto Rican Nationalist party leading up to a crucial vote over ratifying Commonwealth status for the territory. Helen and Marisol also discuss how Puerto Rico fits into a larger institutional discourse about “best practices” for policing, surveillance, and responding to crises throughout Latin America and in the mainland U.S., where urban police forces have carried out similar tactics to those the FBI and the PRPD previously “tested” in Puerto Rico.

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DACA Updates: "We are not going to compromise anymore." Sep 14, 2017

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49.2.3: DREAMs Beyond DACA Aug 01, 2017

49.2.3: DREAMs Beyond DACA by NACLARadio

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49.2.2: Mike Bustamante on Cuba Jul 10, 2017

49.2.2: Mike Bustamante on Cuba by NACLARadio

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49.2.1: Nara Milanich Reports from "Baby Jail" Jun 28, 2017

Nara Milanich discusses family detention centers, the asylum process, and the fight to protect immigrant rights.

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49.1.2: Devyn Spence Benson on Racism and Anti-Racism and Afro Cuban Activism in Cuba Apr 19, 2017

Helen talks with NACLA Report contributor Devyn Spence Benson about the history of racism and antiracism in Cuba, the legacy of Fidel Castro and the Cuban Revolution, and Afro Cuban activism today.

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49.1: Julia Buxton on Venezuela Apr 12, 2017

In this episode of NACLA Radio, Helen talks with NACLA Report contributor Julia Buxton about the current state of opposition to the Maduro government, the tactics and conversation around legitimacy, and the place of groups advocating for the rights of Afro-Venezeulans, Indigenous Venezuelans, women, and LGBTQI people. Listen to the end for a brief discussion of the Hungarian government’s legislative attempt to shut down the U.S.-based Central European University, where Julia is Dean of the School of Public Policy.

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49.1: Nano Stern Talks Music, Politics, and Creative Expression in a Changing World Mar 15, 2017

Guest producer Julia Burnell brings us some excerpts from her interview with Chilean musician Nano Stern, who is currently touring North America. Nano will be at Verso Books on Friday, March 17th, at 6:30pm to discuss activism and art with NACLA and to share some of his music. Read the full interview in the latest issue of the NACLA Report, "#BlackLivesMatter Across the Hemisphere."

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48.4: Geraldo Cadava on Latino Conservatism in the U.S. Feb 14, 2017

Helen talks with NACLA Report contributor Geraldo Cadava about the history of Latino conservatism in the United States, and on how Latinos voted in last November’s election.

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48.4: Ben Cowan and the Brazilian Right Jan 25, 2017

Helen talks to NACLA contributor Ben Cowan about the recent right turn in Brazilian politics, the resurgence of the "Beef, Bullets, and Bible" caucus in Brazilian congress, and the new right's flirtation with its own sort of identity politics.

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Update: When Companies Sue Governments Jan 18, 2017

Helen catches up with Manuel Perez Rocha following the decision on the Pacific Rim vs. El Salvador case.

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48.3: Bret Gustafson & Niki Fabricant on Morales and extractive industry in Bolivia Oct 27, 2016

48.3: Bret Gustafson & Niki Fabricant on Morales and extractive industry in Bolivia by NACLARadio

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48.3: Manuel Perez-Rocha on Free Trade and Investor Disputes Oct 16, 2016

48.3: Manuel Perez-Rocha on Free Trade and Investor Disputes by NACLARadio

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48.3: Forrest Hylton and Aaron Tauss on Colombia Oct 11, 2016

Helen talks to Forrest Hylton and Aaron Tauss about their article in the Report. Forrest digs into the article and the transnational economic motivations behind the Colombian peace accord. Helen follows up with Aaron in October to discuss recent developments, and what might happen next.

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48.2 Currency of Death Aug 03, 2016

We take a deeper dive into the latest NACLA Report - Currency of Death: Unraveling the Political Economy of the Drug Wars, with interviews with Alexander Aviña, Molly Molloy, and Todd Miller.

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