Latino Rebels Radio

Kat Torres shows an Instagram-perfect life to her large following. She's a supermodel turned life coach who seems harmless but is hiding a secret. And when one of her followers goes missing, one woman sets out to bring her best friend. Paty won't stop until she finds her friend who has fallen under Kat's spell of this modern-day guru.Listen to episodes of Don't Cross Kat here.

Latino Rebels Radio goes on the road for a live podcast recording at Mitchell College in New London, Connecticut. Host Julio Ricardo Varela welcomes seven students to discuss how a college such as Mitchell is creating more welcoming, accessible living and learning environments in a world that continues to get more and more diverse. Thanks to the Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut for making this live show possible.

From Peru to Mexico to the Lower East Side, Latino Rebels Radio host Julio Ricardo Varela breaks down the Latino and Latina pioneers who influenced punk rock with guests Ceci Bastida and Núria Net, part of the creative team behind the new Audible podcast series, Punk In Translation: Latinx Origins, produced by Fresh Produce Media. This is episode was originally broadcast on March 31, 2022. Click here for the full series in English. Click here for the full series in Spanish.

Latino Rebels Radio host Julio Ricardo Varela proudly welcomes award-winning journalist and Democracy Now! co-host Juan González to discuss the second revision of his legendary book and how it relates to recent events. They talk about the current Summit of the Americas, the news of a migrant caravan this week and the latest about Puerto Rico. The second revision of Harvest of Empire was released last summer. You can read more about the updated version at the Penguin Random House site. This episode was originally broadcast on June 9, 2022.

We welcome The Daily Chela founder Brandon Loran Maxwell to discuss his new film, American Homeboy, for a nuanced discussion of Cholo culture and how it still influences pop culture today.

Latino Rebels Radio producer Oscar Fernandez steps in to guest host as he welcomes true-crime novelist H. Allegra Lansing to discuss the forgotten legacy of ‘90s grunge rock singer Mia Zapata.

Following a historic election victory by the progressive Semilla Party in Guatemala, Latino Rebels Radio producer Oscar Fernandez steps in as guest host to welcome Marco Fonseca, Instructor of Latin American and International Studies at York University in Canada, to discuss how this election almost didn't happen.

The 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup has featured new stars, new upset victories, and the rise of future title contenders. To discuss the surprise success of non-European teams at the tournament, Latino Rebels Radio host Julio Ricardo Varela welcomes back Brenda Elsey, professor of history and Latin American and Caribbean studies at Hostra University, and the author of 'Futbolera: A History of Women and Sports in Latin America.'

In this special episode of Latino Rebels Radio ---originally aired on the Futuro podcast In The Thick--- host Julio Ricardo Varela is joined by Futuro Media editorial director Fernanda Santos for a roundtable discussion with Dr. Aria Halliday, an associate professor of gender and women's studies at the University of Kentucky, for a breakdown of the legacy of Black Barbie.

With the release of the blockbuster film 'Oppenheimer,' Latino Rebels Radio host Julio Ricardo Varela welcomes Myrriah Gomez, assistant professor at the University of New Mexico and author of 'Nuclear Nuevo México: Colonialism and the Effects of the Nuclear Industrial Complex on Nuevomexicanos,' to discuss the movie's omission of New Mexican history in the creation of the atomic bomb.

Latino Rebels Radio host Julio Ricardo Varela proudly welcomes acclaimed Puerto Rican writer Esmeralda Santiago for a lively discussion about her latest novel, Las Madres, and the importance of becoming visible in the American landscape through literature.

On this episode, Hector Luis Alamo, senior editor of Latino Rebels, steps in as guest host to speak with Ada Briceño, co-president of Unite Here! Local 11, and Diana Rios Sanchez, a striking hotel worker, about the hotel workers' strike in Los Angeles and its importance for other labor actions taking place across the country.

Amid a record breaking heat wave throughout Texas that has led to several heat-related deaths, Gov. Greg Abbott has signed a bill eliminating mandatory water breaks for construction workers. Latino Rebels Radio host Julio Ricardo Varela welcomes Daniela Hernandez, state legislative coordinator for the Workers Defense Project, to discuss the cruel and punitive nature of the bill and how they plan to fight back.

Affirmative action struck down in college admissions. LGBTQ rights limited. Student loan relief blocked. Latino Rebels Radio host Julio Ricardo Varela welcomes Vanity Fair legal affairs contributor Cristian Farias to discuss the latest round of Supreme Court rulings plagued by shaky evidence, questionable plaintiffs and the lack of legal standing.

Latino Rebels senior editor Hector Luis Alamo steps in as guest host to welcome sports journalist Bryan Fonseca for a knockout conversation on the future of Puerto Rican boxing, history made at the NBA draft, and Boricua representation in pro wrestling.

This week, Latino Rebels Radio is proud to present the first episode of SOS Central America, hosted by Maria Martin, creator and founding team member of Latino USA. In this episode, Maria examines the arrest of journalist and president of the Guatemalan newspaper elPeriódico, José Rubén Zamora, and what it means for dissent and a free press in the Central American country.

Following another series of migrant flights by Florida governor and Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis, Latino Rebels Radio host Julio Ricardo Varela welcomes Autumn Gonzalez and Iván Espinoza-Madrigal to discuss the latest political stunt in Sacramento, how it is a carbon copy of what happened last year in Martha's Vineyard and the unspoken trauma it has caused on people. Autumn Gonzalez is a volunteer organizer for Sacramemto-based NorCal Resist. Iván Espinoza-Madrigal is the Executive Director of Lawyers for Civil Rights in Boston.

Latino Rebels entertainment correspondent Cristina Escobar steps into the host seat again to talk with Linda Yvette Chavez, writer of the upcoming film ‘Flamin' Hot,' about the importance of family and community to both the filmmaking process and the extraordinary story of Richard Montañez.

In this episode, Latino Rebels Radio host Julio Ricardo Varela welcomes professors Lilia Fernández and Ana Patricia Rodríguez to discuss why so much U.S. Latino history is missing in textbooks and how it eventually extends to issues of imperialism. Lilia Fernández is a Professor of History at the University of Illinois in Chicago and Ana Patricia Rodríguez is a Professor of U.S. Latinx & Central American Literature at the University of Maryland in College Park.

With Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis launching his 2024 presidential campaign this week after passing a slew of anti-immigrant measures, Latino Rebels Radio host Julio Ricardo Varela welcomes freelance writer and LR contributor Arturo Domínguez to discuss how some Latino truckers are pushing back with a proposed boycott of the Sunshine State.

As the Writer's Guild of America goes on strike and brings the entertainment industry to a halt, Latino Rebels Radio host Julio Ricardo Varela welcomes writer and producer Erick Galindo to discuss the importance of fighting for better working wages and fair representation in Hollywood. For more about the strike, visit the WGA's site.

Amid a wave of anti-immigrant rhetoric and violence, Latino Rebels Radio host Julio Ricardo Varela welcomes Roberto Lopez, Senior Advocacy Manager for the Texas Civil Rights Project, to discuss the circumstances around the tragedy in Brownsville, Texas, and how the country has become a nation of hating immigrants.

Latino Rebels Radio host Julio Ricardo Varela welcomes Pita Juarez, Vice President of Communications for LGBTQ+ Victory Fund and Institute, to discuss Trans voices being silenced by Republicans following the censure of Montana transgender lawmaker Zooey Zephyr and the importance of having more Trans voices in the democratic process.

In the wake of a wild story out of San Jose, California, where the head of the police union was charged with smuggling fentanyl into the country, Latino Rebels Radio host Julio Ricardo Varela welcomes investigative journalist Jonah Owen Lamb from the San Francisco Standard to discuss the importance of a nuanced understanding of the opioid crisis in the Bay Area.

Latino Rebels entertainment correspondent Cristina Escobar steps into the host seat for a conversation with actor and comedian John Leguizamo to discuss his passion and activism in Hollywood as well as his new show on MSNBC, "Leguizamo Does America."

On a special episode of Latino Rebels Radio, sports correspondent Bryan Fonseca turns the tables on host Julio Ricardo Varela as they discuss the impact of this year's World Baseball Classic, the controversy around Twitter Blue, and Julio's love and admiration for the New York Knicks in the lead up to the NBA playoffs.

Many service employees in Los Angeles' school district work two or three jobs to make ends meet, while still living below the poverty line. Some are even unhoused. For this episode of Latino Rebels Radio, host Julio Ricardo Varela welcomes Roosevelt High School teacher Jason Torres-Rangel to explain the plight of service workers in L.A. schools that led them to strike last month and why educators followed their lead.

Another mass shooting, this time in Nashville, has once again raised the issue of gun control and the inaction of lawmakers to do anything about it. In this episode of Latino Rebels Radio, host Julio Ricardo Varela welcomes Oscar Juarez-Luna, the communications manager for Movimiento Poder in Denver ---where earlier this year a high school experienced two shootings in two months--- to discuss preventative measures and the importance of protecting kids, not guns.

"Y'all means all!" goes the pro-LGBTQ slogan in Texas, but judging by the bills being introduced and passed in states across the country, many conservative lawmakers clearly disagree. On this episode, Latino Rebels Radio host Julio Ricardo Varela welcomes Karma Chavez, professor of Mexican American and Latina/o Studies at the University of Texas at Austin and author of 'Queer Migration Politics: Activist Rhetoric and Coalitional Possibilities,' to discuss the current legislative assaults on LGBTQ rights.

Head splitters. Bandsaws. Exposure to Covid. Following a series of reports on migrant children being exploited in the meatpacking industry, Latino Rebels Radio host Julio Ricardo Varela welcomes Rose Godinez, legal and policy counsel for the Nebraska chapter of the ACLU and the child of meatpacking workers herself, to break down an industry rife with exploitation and retaliation under unsafe conditions.

Haiti is going to the Women's World Cup! Following this historic achievement last month by Haiti's national women's soccer team, Latino Rebels Radio host Julio Ricardo Varela welcomes Brenda Elsey, professor at Hofstra University and co-host of the Burn It All Down podcast, to discuss and celebrate this exciting moment in Haitian fútbol history.

On this episode of Latino Rebels Radio, host Julio Ricardo Varela welcomes Keylin Perez, the first Latina to be named Miss Coppin State at the historically Black university in Baltimore, Maryland, to discuss the backlash she has received online versus the supportive and inclusive environment at the school itself.

Is George Lopez out of touch by disparaging up-and-coming comedian Ralph Barbosa? Latino Rebels' Senior Editor Hector Luis Alamo steps in as guest host this week to break down the George Lopez/Ralph Barbosa controversy with entertainment correspondent Cristina Escobar and L.A. Times columnist Fidel Martinez.

The private seizure of public lands. Regulations that go unenforced. Serious environmental damage. Growing public discontent. One activist shot. On this episode of Latino Rebels Radio, host Julio Ricardo Varela speaks with Latino Rebels' Caribbean correspondent Carlos Edill Berríos Polanco about the challenges environmentalists face in their fight against land privatization in Puerto Rico.

While the fight for African American studies continues in Florida, Latino Rebels Radio host Julio Ricardo Varela welcomes Sean Arce, the former co-founder of the Mexican American Raza Studies Program in Tucson, Arizona to draw parallels to the current battle with Arizona's ethnic studies battle over a decade ago.

On this episode of Latino Rebels Radio, host Julio Ricardo Varela speaks with President and General Counsel for LatinoJustice PRLDEF Lourdes Rosado about the latest shocking example of police violence in Memphis and why the death of Tyre Nichols should be met with an equal measure of outrage by Black and Latino communities.

It's award season, which means it's time for Latino Rebels to return to Hollywood to see if real gains have been made by Latinos and Latinas in film during the past year. Latino Rebels Radio host Julio Ricardo Varela welcomes back entertainment correspondent Cristina Escobar for a discussion of representation at both this year's Sundance Film Festival —which Cristina covered for Latino Rebels— and in the Academy Award nominations announced earlier in the week.

Conocida como la isla donde hasta las piedras cantan, Puerto Rico alberga una vertiginosa amplitud de expresión musical. Desde los boleristas líricos de la década de 1930 hasta los salseros eléctricos de los 70 y los reggaetoneros de hoy que han tomado la música de los espacios marginales y la han convertido en una sensación mundial, esta temporada lleva a los oyentes a una emocionante aventura rica en reportajes y cruce de géneros musicales que captura la creatividad incesante, la resonancia emocional y, sí, la brega, que son sellos distintivos de la música puertorriqueña en todas las épocas y formatos. Las voces que aparecen en este tráiler incluyen Victor Guys, Bobby Sanabria, Ana Macho, Afrika Clivillés, Lia Camille Crockett, Bianca Graulau, Omar Alfanno, Ruben Blades, Mireya Ramos, Velcro, Susana Baca, y Alberto “Ringo” Martínez. El primer episodio se estrena el jueves 26 de enero. Suscríbete ahora.

As Peru faces another political crisis following the impeachment of former president Pedro Castillo last month, Latino Rebels Radio host Julio Ricardo Varela welcomes Peruvian professor Roger Merino to discuss how the right wing is playing a dangerous democratic game that has led to the deaths of several protesters. Roger Merino is an Associate Professor at the Universidad del Pacífico in Lima, Peru.

Following a week that included a failed coup attempt in Brazil by followers of former president Jair Bolsonaro and U.S. president Joe Biden receiving heavy criticism for expanding Trump-era immigration policy, what parallels can be drawn from these events? Latino Rebels Radio host Julio Ricardo Varela searches for answers by welcoming both Sabrina Fernandes and Juliana Macedo do Nascimento to discuss both issues. Sabrina Fernandes is a São Paulo-based sociologist. Juliana Macedo do Nascimento is the Deputy Director of Federal Advocacy for United We Dream.

With the return of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva as Brazil's president and the hope of Brazilian democracy being renewed, Latino Rebels Radio host Julio Ricardo Varela begins the new year by speaking with Brazil-based freelance journalist Michael Fox on what lies ahead for Lula's second run in office following the right-wing presidency of Jair Bolsonaro. Michael Fox is also the host of the podcast Brazil On Fire.

While Futuro Media remains on holiday break, Latino Rebels Radio producer Oscar Fernández steps in once again for another episode of the Latino Media Collective. Oscar spends the hour with Professor Tanya Katerí Hernández to discuss her recent book, “Racial Innocence: Unmasking Latino Anti-Black Bias and the Struggle for Equality,” and the inconvenient truth of anti-Black bias within the Latino community.

It's time for the annual holiday break at Futuro Media, which means it's also time for our producer Oscar Fernández to step in with another episode of the Latino Media Collective. In this episode, Oscar welcomes visual artist and longtime friend of Latino Rebels, Julio Salgado, in another installment of the LMC's “Undocumented and LGBTQ” series.

Why is military-grade spyware being used against journalists? Latino Rebels Radio host Julio Ricardo Varela searches for answers by speaking with El Faro reporter Nelson Rauda to discuss the use of Pegasus spyware in El Salvador and why it should matter to journalists in the United States.

Following the huge success of “Wednesday” on Netflix, Latino Rebels Radio host Julio Ricardo Varela welcomes entertainment correspondent Cristina Escobar to look back on an outstanding year for Latino representation in Hollywood.

Futuro Investigates and Latino USA —in partnership with Lemonada Media— present “USA v. García Luna,” a new investigative series about the most powerful Mexican official to ever face trial in the U.S. for allegedly accepting million-dollar bribes from the Sinaloan drug cartel. Before his arrest, Genaro García Luna worked closely with U.S. diplomats and intelligence agencies, and was considered the architect of the Mexican "war on drugs," funded with more than $3 billion of U.S. taxpayer money. Look for it on December 9th wherever you get your podcasts and at futuroinvestigates.org. You can subscribe to “USA v. García Luna” here.

On this episode of Latino Rebels Radio, host Julio Ricardo Varela welcomes Futuro Media senior producers Julieta Martinelli and Roxanne Scott to discuss the debut Futuro Investigates story about the dangers migrants face in the Arizona desert. “Death by Policy: Crisis in the Arizona Desert” premieres December 2 on Latino USA.

Latino Rebels Senior Editor Hector Luis Alamo returns as guest host and welcomes Rhonda LeValdo to break away from romanticized narratives of Thanksgiving and deconstruct the facade of turkey day. LeValdo is a citizen of Acoma Pueblo and a professor at Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kansas.

Following a midterm election cycle that defied predictions of a red wave, Latino Rebels Radio host Julio Ricardo Varela welcomes Chuck Rocha —president of Solidarity Strategies and co-host of The Latino Vote podcast— to break down the complexity of Latino voters from region to region.

Just days before the start of the 2022 World Cup, Latino Rebels Radio host Julio Ricardo Varela welcomes Jasmine Garsd, host of the new podcast The Last Cup, to discuss how the journey of Argentinian superstar Lionel Messi runs parallel to the issues of migration, neoliberalism, and hanging on to your roots. The Last Cup is a joint production from NPR and Futuro Studios.

Amid a sense of apprehension over the future of Brazilian democracy, Latino Rebels Radio host Julio Ricardo Varela welcomes Roberta Braga, director of counter-disinformation strategies at Equis, to break down the contentious and highly competitive second round of Brazil's presidential election and weigh it against the destabilizing threat of disinformation.