The Americas Quarterly Podcast

Nearly three months after the fall of Nicolás Maduro, Delcy Rodríguez is still standing as interim president of Venezuela. The broad feeling, at least for now, is that Rodríguez and the chavista regime are not going anywhere. Since she took office on January 5th, Rodríguez has signed an amnesty law, reformed the hydrocarbon law, and restored diplomatic relations with the U.S. for the first time since 2019. Yet she has done this while keeping most of the chavista regime entrenched in power. Diosdado Cabello remains her Interior Minister, her brother, Jorge Rodríguez, runs the National Assembly, and the new Defense Minister is the former head of Venezuela's feared intelligence service, accused of overseeing torture and human rights abuses. What do her actions ultimately mean for the future of Venezuela? Our guest is Juan Forero, Bureau Chief for South America at the Wall Street Journal.  

Michael Stott, journalist and former Financial Times Latin America editor now in South Asia, shares why he leaves the region optimistic. He discusses the tight Brazil race between Lula and Bolsonaro Jr., Colombia’s fragmented right and electoral outlook, rising concerns about cartels and crime, and the shifting U.S. approach to Cuba and Venezuela.

For 67 years, many people have been waiting for change in Cuba — and for 67 years, the communist regime has endured. It survived the fall of the Soviet Union, the death of Fidel Castro, economic sanctions, and political pressure from 13 different U.S. presidents. But the Trump Administration, fresh off its military operation in Venezuela, is now applying unprecedented economic pressure on the island, effectively cutting off its oil supply, and pushing basic services to the point of collapse. This follows years of a deepening crisis that has driven as much as a fifth of Cuba’s population to leave since 2020. Is this the moment when change might finally come to Cuba? Our guest is Patrick Oppmann, Havana bureau chief for CNN.

Gabriela Keseberg Dávalos, a Bolivian strategic policy adviser and former senior EU foreign policy adviser, breaks down Rodrigo Paz’s first 100 days. She discusses fuel subsidy turmoil and street protests. She explains the pro-market pivot, the Paz–Lara leadership rift, investor interest beyond lithium, and efforts to reengage the U.S. and stabilize the economy.

Michael Reid, journalist and former Latin America editor for The Economist, analyzes the region’s defining 2026 moment. He discusses why Latin America is back in global focus. He examines US-China hard-power tensions and nearshoring opportunities. He outlines political shifts across Peru, Colombia, Brazil and the implications of recent US actions in Venezuela.

The fate of Venezuela hinges on the country’s once-proud energy sector. Since Maduro’s capture two weeks ago, questions about how the industry could be recovered have become critically important: What’s the real state of the Venezuelan oil industry today? Under what conditions might U.S. companies be able to deliver on the $100 billion in investment that President Trump says is needed? Can the interim government of Delcy Rodríguez deliver those conditions? Today on the podcast, we take a realistic look at what political and economic steps are necessary for the Venezuelan oil industry to begin its long recovery. Our guest is Luis Pacheco, a nonresident fellow at Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy and former president of the ad hoc PDVSA board.

Andrés Martínez-Fernández, a Senior Policy Analyst at the Heritage Foundation, dives into the implications of Nicolás Maduro's arrest in Venezuela. He discusses how this pivotal moment could spark change while Delcy Rodríguez's potential to lead the Chavista regime is assessed. Martínez-Fernández outlines U.S. leverage strategies against the regime and emphasizes the importance of urgent action from the Venezuelan opposition. He also highlights broader regional impacts, including challenges in Colombia and Cuba, while warning of Chavista stalling tactics.

Despite trade tensions and political uncertainty, 2025 was not a bad year for Latin America's economies, with growth of around 2.4 percent, broadly in line with post-pandemic trends. In this episode we look ahead to 2026 and analyze the outlook for the region, from fiscal pressures and a pivotal election in Brazil to uncertainty around Argentina’s recovery under Javier Milei and the evolving trade relationship between Mexico and the United States. To unpack which countries and sectors look strongest, and where the biggest risks lie, we’re joined by Nur Cristiani, head of LATAM investment strategy at J.P. Morgan’s Private Bank. 

In this discussion, Ricardo Zúniga, a former principal advisor for the Americas to President Obama and now a strategic advisor, dives into the implications of Trump's National Security Strategy. He outlines the doctrine's focus on migration, crime, and a more assertive U.S. presence in Latin America, contrasting it with previous policies. Zúniga highlights the revival of the Monroe Doctrine and the push to counter China’s influence, sparking debates on U.S. intervention in regional elections and the shifting dynamics of trade, particularly through nearshoring.

Oliver Stuenkel, visiting scholar at the Carnegie Endowment and Latin America analyst. He discusses recent conservative electoral gains across the region. They explore whether this is a lasting rightward shift or anti-incumbent backlash. Conversation covers crime and security politics, evangelical influence, U.S. partisan effects, and what 2026 contests might mean.