RadioLAND

The outside world has viewed Chile as a shining example of success in Latin America after enduring one of the region’s worst dictatorships. It has strong institutions, a relatively low poverty rate, and a high GDP. But recently thousands of Chileans have poured into the streets, banging pots and pans and jumping subway turnstiles. The protests revealed the stark divide between the have's and the have not's in Chile and exposed the country's extreme inequality. Several other countries around Latin America and the Caribbean have also seen protests recently, including Ecuador, where people marched to the capital over an increase in transit prices. We discuss how these protests are similar and, more importantly, how they are different.Guests: Patricio Aeschlimann, James Bosworth, Andra Chastain, Patricio Navia and Matías Zibell. Reporters: Colleen Connolly, Alanna Elder and Cameron Oakes. Hosts: Colleen Connolly and Alanna Elder. Producer: Alanna Elder. LAND editor: Colleen Connolly.Music and sounds: St Francis by Josh Lippi & The Overtimers (YouTube Audio Library), Charangos by LATASHÁ (YouTube Audio Library), Fresno Alley by Josh Lippi & The Overtimers (YouTube Audio Library) and a mix by Dax on the Trax.Other sounds:Hundreds Hop NY Subway Turnstiles, Block Street to Protest NYPD, News2Share, Nov. 2, 2019. Filmed by Ed Fabry. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeNijge8SfQPresidente Piñera: “Estamos en guerra contra un enemigo poderoso,” Meganoticias, Oct. 21, 2019. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8BrqEDLEIsChile: el presidente decreta estado de emergencia en Santiago en medio de violentas protestas, FRANCE 24 Español, Oct. 19, 2019. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVTyJXGacEkEscolares volvieron a liderar evasiones en el Metro de Santiago, T13, Oct. 17 2019. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNJCJ8gP3jESebastián Piñera: “Hubo uso excesivo de la fuerza y se cometieron abusos,” EL PAIS, Nov. 18, 2019. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAiV5shshbI

In the first round of Uruguay’s presidential election on Oct. 27, voters changed the political makeup of parliament and nearly passed a referendum that would have allowed the government to get tougher on crime, as homicides and thefts continue to rise. The left-leaning Frente Amplio has held a majority for the last 15 years, but those days are over. The party’s candidate, Daniel Martínez faces a close race in the runoff with Luis Lacalle Pou, a candidate in the conservative Partido Nacional. RadioLAND producer Alanna Elder reports on the results of the first round and what we can expect in the second round on Nov. 24. Guests: Carlos Demasi, Mariana Rodríguez, Nicolás Saldías, Diego Sanjurjo and Ignacio Villar. Reporter: Alanna Elder. Hosts: Colleen Connolly and Cameron Oakes. Producer: Alanna Elder. LAND editor: Colleen Connolly.Music: Focus by A A Alto (https://www.freemusicarchive.org/music/A_A_Aalto), Shameless Life Wisdom Sendoff by pATCHES (YouTube Audio Library), Last Train to Mars by Dan Lebowitz (YouTube Audio Library)and a mix by Dax on the Trax.Other sounds: 1. Ciclo de ADM. Elecciones 2019. Guido Manini Ríos, Asuntos Públicos, Oct. 15, 2019. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlfEu5bko742. Larrañaga y sus propuestas en seguridad: militarizar a la Policía y cadena perpetua revisable, Desayunos Informales, Feb. 21, 2018. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxKJXQ5sXFs3. UPITN 10 11 77 THE PRESIDENT OF URUGUAY ARRIVES IN BUENOS AIRES, AP News, Nov. 10, 1977. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isabzUkYSGw4. Mega-Rally Marks Chile Protests Third Week, VOA News, Nov. 5, 2019. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=al0MVX4z7dg&has_verified=15. Una multitudinaria marcha contra la reforma “Vivir sin Miedo” recorrió 18 de Julio, VTV Noticias, Oct. 22, 2019. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zeJ0e1kFCU6. Chile: students ambush metro stations in protest over fare hikes, The Guardian, Oct. 18, 2019. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0e1qbELHiEQ7. Voto Uruguay: conoce a Luis Lacalle Pou, candidato presidencial, y lo que opina de Macri y Maduro, CNN Espanol, Oct. 3, 2019.

In the Argentine presidential election last week, Alberto Fernández managed to outrun incumbent Mauricio Macri using the fact that he isn’t Cristina Kirchner, his running mate, as well as the fact that he’s close enough. This year’s election tugged at people’s memories of an easier time. It worried investors and critics of the Kirchners who are afraid the country is sliding backward. And on the flip side, it gave young, progressive activists a way to participate in a new political moment. LAND’s Eileen Rodríguez reports on the election results.Guests: Demian Bio, Pedro Camacho, Nicolás Saldías and Colby Smith. Reporter: Colleen Connolly, Alanna Elder and Eileen Rodríguez. Hosts: Chase DiBenedetto and Dayana Perez. Producer: Alanna Elder. LAND editor: Colleen Connolly. Music and sounds: Nada #1 by La Tabú (Free Music Archive), Ocho Octubre by La Tabù (Free Music Archive), Sad Moments by Ketso (Free Music Archive), “Canguro" by Wos (with permission) and a mix by Dax on the Trax.Other sounds:"Discurso completo de Alberto Fernández presidente - Elecciones 2019 Argentina, resultados completos" La Nación, Oct. 27, 2019 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6663VM9maxo"Ganó Alberto Fernández: Discurso completo de Mauricio Macri asumiendo su derrota", La Nación, Oct. 27, 2019 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6663VM9maxo"Cristina en la Plaza de Mayo", Télam, Oct. 23, 2011 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaxRA1nMeTo"Protests in Argentina over plan to ask IMF for loans", France 24, May 10, 2018 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmUy2zy4uL4"Discurso de Eva Duarte en la primera transmisión de Televisión argentina", La Casa Rosada, 1950, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMrVm7j4nzU"Palabras de Juan Peron por el dia de trabajador", June 18, 2009 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9OpCoMzibI"Dozer vs Roma - Cuartos, Final Nacional Argentina 2019", Red Bull Batalla de los Gallos, Oct. 20, 2019 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpsUnUPw7WQ

Evo Morales was the first indigenous president of Bolivia, and he spoke to a group of Bolivians that politicians usually ignored. During his time in office, his social programs have drastically reduced poverty and grown the middle class. But his presidency wasn’t supposed to last forever. On Oct. 24, Bolivia declared him the winner of the presidential election. He’ll begin his fourth term, even though the constitution only allows two terms. LAND editor Colleen Connolly reports on Morales’s rise, the growing opposition against him in recent years and what his latest victory means for Bolivia. Guests: Ricardo Calla, Ben Dangl and Linda Farthing. Reporter: Colleen Connolly. Hosts: Alanna Elder and Cameron Oakes. Producer: Alanna Elder. LAND editor: Colleen Connolly.Music: "Becoming” by Jade Wii (YouTube Free Music), "Take Me To the Depths” by Midnight North (YouTube Free Music), "Three Kinds of Suns” by Norma Rockwell (YouTube Free Music) and a mix by Dax on the Trax.Other sounds: "Bolivia Protests 2," Associated Press, 2003"Bolivia Morales Wrap," Associated Press, 2005"Evo Morales en la ONU. En el acto por Año Internacional de Lenguas Indígenas,” Noticias Bolivia, 2019 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yyb73mx3_QU"Protestas en Bolivia por sospechas de fraude electoral," Telemundo, 2019 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rndfiHxiQ8E

Former Colombian president Álvaro Uribe Vélez is standing trial for tampering with witnesses and making false accusations. It’s the first time Colombia’s Supreme Court has charged an ex-president with a crime, and Uribe is the most powerful politician in Colombia. We dive into who Uribe is and why he's on trial, and LAND reporter Nico Bedoya talks to Colombians in San Carlos about which version of their former president they accept: hero or criminal. Guests: Adriaan Alsema, Gimena Sánchez, Santiago Daza Espinosa, Farid Alberto Usme Cortez, Andrés Cuéllar, Iván Darío Posada García, Maria Patricia Bedoya Velásquez and Christina Noriega. Reporters: Nico Bedoya, Colleen Connolly and Alanna Elder. Hosts: Colleen Connolly and Cameron Oakes. Producer: Alanna Elder. LAND editor: Colleen Connolly.Music: Dirt Rhodes by Kevin McLeod, After the Week I've Had by Dexter Britain, Falling Rain by Myuu, Holed Me Down and a mix by Dax on the Trax.Other sounds: - "President Bush Honors Presidential Medal of Freedom Recipients", The White House: https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2009/01/20090113-7.html- "Candente debate entre Iván Cepeda y Álvaro Uribe - 17 de Septiembre de 2014", Noticias Caracol: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73EVORhINAo

Mexico was one of the first countries to ratify the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child 30 years ago. As the United Nations prepares to commemorate the treaty at the General Assembly in New York this week, RadioLAND reporter Chase DiBenedetto looks at whether Mexico is living up to its commitment when it comes to migrant children making their way from Central America to the United States. Guests: Gretchen Kuhner, Catalina López Montero, Helena Olea and Eitan Peled. Reporter: Chase DiBenedetto. Hosts: Alanna Elder and Cameron Oakes. Producer: Alanna Elder. LAND editor: Colleen Connolly.This episode was recorded on Sept. 19, 2019. Music: Meadow by Density and Time, Fairy Meeting by Emily A. Sprague and Anxious by Sextile (YouTube Audio Library). Other sounds courtesy of: Washington Week, PBS, June 7, 2019 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiTws__J84gUN Audiovisual Library, UNICEF: Rights of Child Celebration https://www.unmultimedia.org/avlibrary/asset/2390/2390457/ and https://www.unmultimedia.org/avlibrary/asset/2390/2390536/Behind the Scenes at the UN General Assembly, published on YouTube Dec. 18, 2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvKpnRPosek

After a few months off, RadioLAND is back. In this episode, we look at one of the summer’s biggest stories: the resignation of Puerto Rican Gov. Ricardo Rosselló and the protests that surrounded it. LAND staff writer Paola Nagovitch reports from Puerto Rico on what the protests were like and what’s next for the island, including the role that it will play in the 2020 presidential elections. Guests: Sandra Rullen, José Alameda and Charles Venator-Santiago. Reporter: Paola Nagovitch. Hosts: Cameron Oakes and Taylor Jennings. Voiceover: Chase DiBenedetto. Producer: Alanna Elder. LAND editor: Colleen Connolly. This episode was recorded on Sept. 5 and 6, 2019. Music: Los Parientes de Playa Vicente by La guanábana and a mix by Dax on the Trax.News clips courtesy of:- PBS NewsHour: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPv7_2NLK1M - CBC News: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SK5bWeLYa8 - CBS This Morning: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9-xvkaZIBc - Fox News: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trQatZPmULk - NBC News: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8x-USBTd1wg - The Washington Post: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7tM48aYbLc - Global News: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kermHK30ChE

Salvadorans make up the largest portion of Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, holders in the United States. The Trump administration is trying to end the immigration status for several countries, but the consequences would reach further than the borders of the United States. In the case of El Salvador, it would mean a loss of significant income for the country and a likely increase in immigration. LAND editor Colleen Connolly reports on the impact of TPS in El Salvador. Plus, LAND reporter Vaclav Masek discusses the Panamanian presidential election and what we can expect from the winner, Laurentino Cortizo.Guests: Cecilia Martínez, Jesse Acevedo, Carlos Dada, Ira Mehlman and Vaclav Masek. Reporter: Colleen Connolly. Hosts: Alanna Elder and Cameron Oakes. Producer: Alanna Elder. LAND editor: Colleen Connolly.This episode was recorded on May 10, 2019. Music: Hip Jazz by Bensound, Meadow by Density and Time, Called Upon by Silent Partner and a mix by Dax on the Trax.

Peru’s former President Alberto Fujimori is facing a variety of criminal charges, including the forced sterilization of hundreds of thousands of women, most of whom were Indigenous and low-income. Since then, thousands of women have spoken out, saying they never gave consent. Alanna Elder talked to Lima journalist Natalia Sánchez Loayza and Nico Bedoya talked to U.S. journalists who covered the story for PBS Newshour last Sunday about their fight for justice. Plus, reporter Joy McKinley talks about an island in the Caribbean that is still recovering from Hurricane Maria as the next hurricane season approaches. Guests: Natalia Sánchez Loayza, Jacquelyn Kovarik, Kathleen Taylor, James Fox and Joy McKinley. Hosts: Alanna Elder and Cameron Oakes. Reporter: Nico Bedoya. Producer: Alanna Elder. LAND editor: Colleen Connolly.This episode was recorded on May 2, 2019. Music: Enigmatic by Ben Sound, Take Me to the Depths by Midnight North, Perception by Ben Sound and a mix by Dax on the Trax.

A shale formation in the Neuquen province of Argentina called Vaca Muerta, or “dead cow,” holds a massive reserve of oil and gas. The province is booming as the rest of Argentina remains deep in an economic crisis. The oil boom, however, isn’t enough to save the whole country’s economy. Alanna Elder talks to La Nación reporter Sofía Diamante about what’s happening in Neuquen. Plus, former LAND staff writer Lauren Kaori Gurley talks about recent labor strikes in a Mexican border city and what that means for Mexico’s growing labor movement ahead of an important vote. Guests: Sofía Diamante and Lauren Kaori Gurley. Hosts: Chase DiBenedetto and Cameron Oakes. Producer: Alanna Elder. LAND editor: Colleen Connolly.This episode was recorded on April 25, 2019. Music: Isalaga by Yan Terrien, Vamos Andar Pela Cidade by Lucas Santtana, Home Fire by Robert John and a mix by Dax on the Trax.

There are more than 20 candidates running in Guatemala’s presidential election, which will be held on June 16. Some of them, however, are facing scandals that may keep them off the ballot. Thelma Aldana, a former attorney general and a frontrunner in the presidential race, is one of them. Vaclav Masek talks to journalist Edgar Ortiz about what the accusations against Aldana could mean for Guatemala. Plus, LAND reporter Nicolas Bedoya talks about the Colombian Truth Commission and its work with the exile community.Guests: Edgar Ortiz and Nicolas Bedoya. Hosts: Cecilia Nowell and Cameron Oakes. Reporter: Vaclav Masek. Producer: Alanna Elder. LAND editor: Colleen Connolly.This episode was recorded on April 18, 2019. Music: Dub Kong by Caballo, Something Elated by Broke for Free, The 49th Street Galleria by Chris Zabreskie and a mix by Dax on the Trax.

A month-long blockade of the Pan-American Highway in Colombia is over, but the movement behind it is not, according to the leaders of a coalition of Indigenous groups. Producer Alanna Elder reports on what happened and what’s next. Plus, former LAND staff writer Hanna Wallis, who wrote about the movement for the New Republic, talks about what it was like to cover it on the ground. Guests: Homer Hernán Magín, Jaime Diaz, Virginie Laurent and Hanna Wallis. Hosts: Jacqueline Kovarik and Vaclav Masek. Reporters: Chase DiBenedetto and Alanna Elder. Producer: Alanna Elder. LAND editor: Colleen Connolly.This episode was recorded on April 11, 2019. Music: Secret Igloo by Yan Terrian, Piano Parapentes by Lobo Loco, Vijera Mistica by Chico Trujillo and a mix by Dax on the Trax.

Last Sunday was the birthday of Cesar Chavez, who in the 1960s, along with Dolores Huerta, led a movement demanding higher wages, better conditions and more recognition for the dignity of farm workers. In a country that today employs more than 2 million farm workers, there are many stories of daily life and resistance in the U.S. food system. Reporter Chase DiBenedetto talked to Mario Sifuentez, who has spent his career collecting that history, starting with his home state of Oregon. Plus, we read an excerpt from a LAND story by Gabriela Barzallo about the “Ni Una Menos” movement in Ecuador. Guests: Mario Sifuentez. Hosts: Cameron Oakes and Alanna Elder. Reporter: Chase DiBenedetto. Producer: Alanna Elder. LAND editor: Colleen Connolly.This episode was recorded on April 5, 2019. Music: Our Only Lark by Blue Dot Sessions, Happy Hour by Lobo Loco, Isalaga by Yan Terrien, People of the Sun by Rage Against the Machine and a mix by Dax on the Trax.

Against a backdrop of machismo and impunity in the justice system, the #MeToo movement erupted in Mexico last week, with thousands of women sharing stories of harassment and abuse on social media. Producer Alanna Elder spoke with two women who are working to confront this crisis. Plus, LAND editor Colleen Connolly talked to Brazilian reporter Eduardo Campos Lima about a controversial anti-crime bill being debated in Brazil’s Congress. You can read his story on latindispatch.com.Guests: Mara Muñoz, Nidia Bautista and Eduardo Campos Lima. Hosts: Chase DiBenedetto and Sofía Cerda Campero. Producer: Alanna Elder. LAND editor: Colleen Connolly.This episode was recorded on March 29, 2019. Music: Islalaga by Yan Terrian, Hopefully by Lobo Loco, Autumn Morning by Lobo Loco and a mix by Dax on the Trax.

Two days before the one-year anniversary of the killing Rio de Janeiro Councilwoman Marielle Franco, police in Brazil arrested two former officers for the assassination. In communities all over the world, people gathered to remember her this week. Producer Alanna Elder went to one of these gatherings in New York. Plus, LAND editor Colleen Connolly talked to Alvaro Céspedes, who spent a year reporting about a Peruvian woman’s 30-year quest for justice after she was raped and her husband was killed during Peru’s internal armed conflict. You can read his story on latindispatch.com.Guests: Marcia Tiburi, Kendall Thomas, Edson Cadette and Alvaro Céspedes. Hosts: Emily Corona and Cecilia Nowell. Producer: Alanna Elder. LAND editor: Colleen Connolly.This episode was recorded on March 15, 2019. Music: Assinatura de sal by Minha Embala, Memories in Love by Lobo Loco, Isalaga by Yan Terrien and a mix by Dax on the Trax.

Two men claim to be the legitimate president of Venezuela: opposition leader Juan Guaidó and sitting president Nicolás Maduro. Leaders of countries in the Americas and beyond have thrown their support behind one or the other. Producer Alanna Elder talks to Alejandro Velasco, a Venezuela historian and the executive editor of the NACLA Report on the Americas, about how a lot of this talk has drowned out another potential way forward. Plus, LAND editor Colleen Connolly talks to Jennapher Lunde Seefeldt about the coming oil boom in Guyana and how the country might avoid the pitfalls of its neighbor, Venezuela. Guests: Alejandro Velasco and Jennapher Lunde Seefeldt. Hosts: Cameron Oakes and Chase DiBenedetto. Producer: Alanna Elder. LAND editor: Colleen Connolly.This episode was recorded on March 7, 2019. Music: Dub Kong by Caballo, A Little Sympathy by Lee Rosevere, The Women Fancy by the Agrarians, Mujer by Musikero Calenchu & Yadi Camara and a mix by Dax on the Trax.

On Feb. 24, Cubans voted to replace the constitution they've had for the last 40 years. Reporter Vaclav Masek talks to Cuban blogger and researcher Harold Cárdenas about the changes this brings to the island. Plus, reporter Jacqueline Kovarik talks to the Hemispheric Institute about the launch of a new website documenting the expulsion of refugees and migrants from Central America. Guests: Harold Cárdenas, Amanda Lotspike and Marcial Godoy-Anativia. Hosts: Cameron Oakes and Vaclav Masek. Reporters: Vaclav Masek and Jacqueline Kovarik. Executive producer: Alanna Elder. LAND editor: Colleen ConnollyThis episode was recorded on March 1, 2019. Music: Dub Kong by Caballo, Home Fire by Robert John, Our Only Lark by Blue Dot Sessions, and a mix by Dax on the Trax.

As protests continued in Haiti, a bizarre story broke out: eight people, including five former U.S. military members, were arrested in Port-au-Prince with cars full of weapons. In other news from Latin America, a migrant shelter in Mexico closed and Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro closed his country's border with Brazil. Lastly, Aleesa Mann talks about her reporting on black women activists in Brazil working for change, starting from their own communities.Guests: Vania André and Aleesa Mann. Hosts: Chase DiBenedetto and Cameron Oakes. Executive producer: Alanna Elder. LAND editor: Colleen ConnollyThis episode was recorded on Feb. 22, 2019. Thanks to Caballo and Dax on the Trax for the music.

El Salvador elected a new "outsider" president, Nayib Bukele, who upset the country's two-party system. In other news from Latin America, Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó continued his efforts to unseat President Nicolás Maduro, Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán was found guilty and the ghost of Pablo Escobar's former drug ring has been haunting Colombia in the form of a 3,000-pound animal — the hippo. Lastly, LAND reporter Jacquelyn Kovarik discusses the launch of the U.N. 2019 International Year of Indigenous Languages.Guests: Vaclav Masek and Jacquelyn Kovarik. Hosts: Chase DiBenedetto and Cameron Oakes. Reporter: Emily Corona. Executive producer: Alanna Elder. LAND editor: Colleen Connolly