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In this special Spanish-language episode, Margarita R. Seminario sits down with Piero Corvetto, the Head of Peru’s National Office of Electoral Processes (ONPE). Piero introduces the vital role of the ONPE in Peruvian elections and explains the measures being undertaken to ensure citizens can vote safely during the Covid-19 pandemic. They discuss the importance of Peru's 2021 elections and the challenges in ensuring that Peruvians living abroad can participate. Elecciones 2021: Las elecciones generales de PerúEn este episodio especial en español, Margarita R. Seminario conversa con Piero Corvetto, jefe de la Oficina Nacional de Procesos Electorales (ONPE) de Perú. Piero explica el papel vital que juega la ONPE en el proceso electoral peruano y comparte las medidas adoptadas para asegurar que peruanos puedan votar de forma segura en el contexto de la pandemia de Covid-19. Ellos conversan sobre la importancia de las elecciones de 2021 y los esfuerzos de la ONPE para garantizar que los peruanos en el extranjero también puedan participar.

Margarita R. Seminario sits down with Moises Rendon, CSIS Senior Associate and the former director of the Future of Venezuela Initiative. Moises introduces the world of cryptocurrencies and outlines key differences between decentralized and public currencies, such as Bitcoin, and state-sponsored cryptocurrencies, like the Venezuelan Petro. They discuss why cryptocurrencies have become so popular in Venezuela, and how they are transforming the humanitarian sector.

Margarita R. Seminario sits down with Gerardo Berthin, Director of the Latin America and Caribbean Programs at Freedom House. Gerardo introduces Freedom House's new tracker, "Election Watch for the Digital Age" and explains the methodology Freedom House uses to determine how digital technologies are disrupting electoral processes around the world. They discuss the specific vulnerabilities that may affect this year's elections in Ecuador, El Salvador, and Peru. Freedom House's "Election Watch for the Digital Age" can be found here. The Americas Program is also proud to present a new podcast, Mexico Matters. Each week, Mariana Campero, CSIS Senior Associate, will speak with leading voices from both sides of the border to bring you in-depth analysis on the strategic importance of the U.S.-Mexico relationship. 

Moises Rendon sits down with Ambassador Francisco Santos Calderón, Colombian Ambassador to the United States and former Vice President of Colombia from 2002 to 2010. They discuss the humanitarian impact of the Venezuelan migrant crisis playing out in neighboring Colombia and the security repercussions of growing criminal presence along the border. Ambassador Santos outlines the recent shifts in the Venezuelan crisis along with his thoughts on why the Biden administration should pay special attention to Venezuela as a regional threat to democracy and stability. 

Moises Rendon sits down with CSIS Senior Advisor Ambassador William Brownfield, former Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs and former U.S. Ambassador to Venezuela, Chile, and Colombia. They discuss developments in these three countries considering the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, Chile's constitutional referendum, and the Biden-Harris Administration's priorities for the region. Ambassador Brownfield outlines his policy recommendations for the Biden administration in its efforts to engage the region going forward.

Forced Labor & Environmental Degradation in the Mining Industry In this special Spanish-language episode, Margarita sits down with Pilar Velasquez of the office of child labor, forced labor, and human trafficking in the bureau of international labor affairs at the United States Department of Labor (USDOL). They discuss informal and illegal gold mining and its connection to environmental degradation and forced labor in the Andean region. Pilar introduces some of the USDOL's efforts to mitigate these environmental and human rights effects and discusses how the private sector and civil society can engage with this issue.  Trabajo forzoso y degradación ambiental en el sector minero En este episodio especial en español, Margarita conversa con Pilar Velásquez de la oficina de trabajo infantil, trabajo forzado, y trata de personas de la oficina de asuntos internacionales laborales en el Departamento de Trabajo de los Estados Unidos (USDOL). Pilar y Margarita conversan sobre la minería de oro informal e ilegal en la Región Andina y su conexión con la degradación ambiental y el trabajo forzoso. Pilar comparte algunos esfuerzos del USDOL para mitigar estos efectos y analiza el papel del sector privado y de la sociedad civil.

Margarita R. Seminario sits down with Betilde Muñoz-Pogossian, director of the department of social inclusion at the Organization of American States (OAS). They discuss food insecurity, poverty, gender disparities, and other barriers to social inclusion in the region. Betilde outlines how the Covid-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected vulnerable populations, including women, indigenous peoples, Afro-Latinos, and people with disabilities. She shares her vision for how the OAS can work with other organizations to achieve greater equity and social inclusion in the region.

Margarita R. Seminario sits down with Luis Felipe Duchicela, Senior Advisor for Indigenous Peoples' Issues for the Center of Excellence on Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance at USAID's Bureau for Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance. They discuss how Luis Felipe's background brought him to this leadership position, and USAID's new Policy on Promoting the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Luis Felipe outlines the barriers that the international development community has historically faced in assisting indigenous communities, and how those barriers helped shape USAID's new policy.

Moises Rendon sits down with Elisabeth Pramendorfer, Senior Human Rights Officer at the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect. They discuss how the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) applies to the case of Venezuela, particularly considering the report of the United Nations Human Rights Council Independent fact-finding mission. Elisabeth outlines common misconceptions about the use and scope of R2P and discusses next steps for the international community to protect human rights in Venezuela.

Margarita R. Seminario sits down with Ambassador John C. Richmond, the United States Ambassador-at-large to monitor and combat trafficking in persons. They discuss trafficking in persons in the Andean region, and particularly in the context of the informal mining sector. Ambassador Richmond outlines the progress that has been made in the past 20 years to identify, monitor, and combat trafficking in the region, as well as how these efforts have been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.