Donald Trump is back in power, and he is already taking action to bring mass migration into the US from the south to a screeching halt (understandable based on the numbers we were witnessing, but not a popular decision). But he's also affecting Latin America in many other ways, several of which are extremely harmful for local economies. You see: Do…

If you think about a psychiatrist, you usually associate this with someone of very high social standing, and if it's somebody who even served the president, then there's no way they could be a wrongdoer, right? Right...? Wrong. Edmundo Chirinos, despite even being President Hugo Chavez's psychiatrist at one point, led a despicable double life in wh…

Fine, right off the bat I'm cheating - Equatorial Guinea is NOT a Latin American country, I know... but it's also incredibly linked to the Spanish-speaking culture, and is a case study in itself of how colonization has entirely derailed the future of a nation in good ways and in bad. Equatorial Guinea has a curious story behind it. Unlike with Chri…

Have you heard of the "War of the Pacific" before? Your mind will inevitably go to WWII, where the American soldiers fought the Japanese in an endless, bloody battle that culminated in the two atomic bombs being launched on Japan, but... That's certainly NOT what this was. What I'm talking about today is the war that occurred between Chile and the …

On April 22, 1997, at 15:23, one of the world's most incredible military operations occurred on the planet, and you've probably never heard of it... Operation Chavín de Huántar was a surgical military operation that took place after the MRTA (a far left-wing guerrilla movement) took close to 800 hostages at the Japanese Embassy in Lima, Peru. It wa…

Few names of Venezuelan gangs and cartels have made as many headlines as El Tren de Aragua, especially in recent months. Named a terrorist organization by President Trump's administration and called "the most disruptive criminal organization operating nowadays in Latin America" by an esteemed Colombian former vice-president, this gang is among the …

A wealthy and respected family... hiding dark secrets of kidnapping and murder behind the scenes. Nope, it's not your newest documentary on a streaming platform - this actually happened in Argentina in the 1980s, just after the right-wing state terrorism of Operation Condor, when a wide range of corrupt cops and torturers were left unemployed, and …

Whenever you think of the Cuban Revolution, the first names that come to mind are Fidel and Raul Castro, and Che Guevara - right? But the amazing thing is that there is a name that should always equally appear alongside them, as one of the nicest and kind of the Cuban revolutionaries, who acted as a pacifying presence and kept everyone level-headed…

Neighbors, rivals, and sometimes even enemies: Argentina and Chile have long shared the tall but thin mountain range of the Andes as their border, many times coming close to blows over territorial differences, and long eyeing each other with distrust over their neighbor's plans. But both sides have their points to make, their truths, and their reas…

What happened at Jonestown, Guyana, is something that has spawned an immense number of books, movies, and even day-to-day phrases, but what it created the most were questions. The biggest of all: why were his followers so easily convinced to drink the Kool-Aid (literally)? And why didn't anyone see this coming? In this episode of the Learn Spanish …

Just over 10 years ago, on September 26, 2014, a tragedy occurred in Guerrero, Mexico. 43 students heading to a protest in the capital vanished off the face of the Earth — or actually, they were taken off the face of the Earth. But nobody knew where, and nobody seemed to know who had taken them. All there was, was a flimsy explanation that was quic…

Climatology might seem like it's been around forever, but it's actually one of the newer sciences. One of the fathers of this science was Alexander von Humboldt, who traveled to South America and Mexico with one goal in mind—to demystify the New World and illuminate how the so-called "primitive" natives really lived there. In an extended journey ac…

The U.S. has a shady history in Latin America - we all know this, as much as might love the United States. From the full-blown coups in Operation Condor to CIA involvement in protests, Latin America has often been relegated to becoming "the United States' back yard". But nothing is worse than what happened at the Bay of Pigs. You see, the invasion …

Mexico has been through its fair share of injustice when it comes to foreign powers, and I'm not even talking of that time when they signed away 55% of its territory to the United States of America, but of something much more ridiculous. You see, in the 1830s, a small dispute over a local bakery turned into an international geopolitical conflict be…

Billionaires, whether you love them or hate them, have shaped a big part of the modern tech world, and are well-known for building some of the most impressive business ventures. Latin America, though not a Silicon Valley, has individuals who have amassed a large amount of their own wealth, whether through going big on a single startup or by patient…

The Mayan Civilization has long been held in an air of mystery - we're familiar with how the infamous calendar made everybody think the world was ending in 2012, due to how accurately the Mayans had mapped out the cycles and astronomy in such a primitive time. But there is more to the Mayans than apocalyptical scenarios and astronomy. In fact, they…

Belize is a country you rarely hear about, but we can promise you: it is actually one of the most interesting in all of Latin America. With possibly one of the most interesting and diverse mix of ethnicities and cultures, Belize stands out from other nations as Spanish is *not* an official language here. So today, we will accompany our traveling fr…

Simón Bolívar is known as the Liberator, and he rightly gained this title... but there is another, one who fought as hard as Bolivar but was nowhere near as recognized as the Venezuelan: José de San Martín. Born in Argentina and raised as a Spanish soldier who fought for the Spanish Empire, José de San Martín's eyes were opened to the human desire …

One of the creepiest tales to come out of Venezuela was that of Dorancel Vargas. A homeless man with severe mental issues who lived outside the city of San Cristobal, Vargas had a fascination that no human should have... He enjoyed eating human meat. And the ugliest thing of it all isn't that he just feasted on the meat, but the fact that he hunted…

Latin America is beautiful, but it's also dangerous, and I'm not talking about the wildlife here... Holding 6 spots in the top 10 crimes rates worldwide, this region has unfortunately been one of the most deadly in recent decades, and its people have lived in fear of violent crime and terrorism for too long. And with organizations such as the FARC …

We've given Mexico some love in recent times, after Season 3's finale "Te Amo, México" - and today is no exception. In fact, today we'll talk about how Mexico's modern political structure came to exist. The nation wasn't always a stable democracy (well, depending on who you ask these days). It has had its up and downs, and its downs have been preee…

Do you love chocolate as much as we do (and if you don't, WHY)? Well, in that case, you might be curious as to how we ended up having this delicious sweet all across the world, on every continent. And yes, that includes Antarctica. Born in the heart of Mesoamerica and originally consumed by the Olmecs, Mayas and Aztecs, cacao (the precursor of choc…

Have you ever seen flowers in the desert? One of the most curious climate phenomena worldwide is El Niño, which is the irregular warming of sea surface temperatures, which leads to a cascade of effects on weather patterns and ecosystems. In this episode, we talk about what it involves, how it affects the lives of animals and human beings in Latin A…

Welcome back to the Learn Spanish with Stories podcast, this time for a fourth season! We've returned with a pretty interesting episode about something that isn't talked about enough... Latin America's Space Race! I bet you know the U.S., the EU, China, India and the Soviet Union (back in the day) had all built amazing missions to space, but Latin …

It's the final episode of Season 3, so let's admit it: we haven't been fair with Mexico during our podcast's lifetime. Yes, we've talked about the Aztecs, but we've also talked a lot about the border issues, El Chapo, and other negative circumstances in the beautiful country of "El Águila Real" (the Royal Eagle). But it's time to redeem ourselves. …

Do you like tea? Sure, maybe. But have you ever tried (or seen someone else try) yerba mate? Mate goes beyond just a drink. It goes beyond the English tea time or that of other cultures. It's something which is almost... spiritual, you know? Having started as a tradition among the Guarani people and then adopted by Spanish colonizers, this drink ha…

You know of the Panama Canal (we already talked about it in Season 1 if you didn't), but you probably had no idea that a second canal has been in plans for a very, very long time now - one that passes through Nicaragua (that's north of Panama). But the delays haven't just been a problem of bureaucracy and budget... the canal would actually have to …

The Jesuits were a Catholic order that was founded in Europe, but which soon expanded to South America to spread the word of God - mainly to Paraguay. However, they had a different way of evangelizing, which made them as interesting as it did controversial... hated, even. You see, the Jesuits didn't believe in forcing their beliefs on the local ind…

While not a country we hear about often these days, Nicaragua has gone through quite a turbulent history that has left it with long-lasting economic, political and social scars. And leaving aside the subject of Daniel Ortega, current dictator of Nicaragua and one of the longest-lasting presidential terms in the world (with 26 interrupted years in p…

If you want to see historic sights everywhere you go, you go to Europe. But if you want to have fun, Latin America is the place to be. Known as the land of dance, music, and smiles, Latin America just has "something else" that makes it a spicy and sweet combination of great food, fantastic nightlife, and quick friendships unlike any other. It's in …

There could be a war brewing in South America... and it's a conflict that has been a long time coming. You see, Guyana and Venezuela have been fighting a silent battle for centuries over a large territory that makes up two-thirds of Guyana - the Essequibo. During the late 1800s, Venezuela lost this territory to a treaty signed by the United Kingdom…

Love him or hate him, it is clear that Javier Milei has rapidly made himself quite a controversial figure in global politics. Carrying a message that is unique and very different from traditional South American politicians, Milei has vowed to reduce the "parasitic" state in his country. But his appearance may be ideal for the nation, and his recent…

Believe it or not, there are communities of people out there who have never been contacted: they've only ever seen a handful of outsiders in their lifetimes, never been on the internet, driven a car (or bicycle) and are still several centuries behind us in terms of technological advancement. It sure is hard to imagine, right? But in fact, that are …

Before Simón Bolívar, before José de San Martín, there was someone else. A man who fought for independence not only in South America but in France and the United States, and whose name is the ONLY American one (North or South) to be engraved in the Arc de Triomphe. I'm talking about Francisco de Miranda, who was born around this time of the year in…

What will Latin America look like in 2040? It's a question that many experts and onlookers have been asking for a while now. With climate change, socioeconomic equality and the security of the region having become such important subjects in recent decades, one must wonder if the nation comprising Latin America are ready to face them. This is why tw…

We often talk about the "discovery of America" when we speak of Columbus and the Spanish. But they didn't really discover America. Think about it: they only came across a continent that was already populated. So the real question would be: how did the first natives in North and South America come to "discover" this land? After all, science has foun…

Bad Bunny, Karol G, and even Shakira in more recent years... If these names don't sound like anything to you, it's time to dust those earphones off and tune in to the most recent craze of Latin American music that has dominated the planet: reggaeton. Originating in the Caribbean as a result of fusing traditional reggae and Jamaican dancehall, regga…

You've probably wondered what's beyond the veil between life and death, and that's normal. But some people really want to take it beyond just wondering and actually discover what that is. In the case of the two men we'll talk about today, a Spaniard doctor by the name of Pedro González de Velasco, and a German doctor named Gottfried Knoche, the lin…

Latin America might be the most diverse region on the planet - after all, it is home to over 660 million people from countless origins, including Spanish, Pre-Columbian, British, Portuguese, African, Indian, Japanese, and more - so it would be fair to say that racism doesn't really exist there... Right? Wrong! Unfortunately, even this incredibly mu…

While many of them are cute and fluffy, we've come to learn that some animals out there are VERY dangerous. Latin America is one such place which - though not as "everything is out to get you" as Australia, is still home to venomous snakes, ravenous piranhas, skull-breaking jaguars, and more. In this region of great beauty and a fascinating variety…

¡Azúcar! - Whenever you hear this cry, you just know some amazingly good Salsa music is about to begin, as Celia Cruz's voice is moments away from hitting your headphones. And what a character she was, with her flashy hairstyles and extravagant clothing style, her wide smile and powerful voice. But what was her story, before all the fame? How did a…

Hidden in the Andes mountain range for close to 400 years, Peru's Machu Picchu has long been an incredibly famous South American tourist destination. After all, it's wonderful location, beautiful views and the advanced technology with which it was created (how were those rocks even transported up there?!) make it unique not only in Latin America, b…

Move aside, the Himalayas. The Andes might not have the highest peaks in the world, but it's actually the most extensive mountain range on our planet, encompassing 7,242 kilometers and stretching across SEVEN different nations. It's South America's pride. But what's so special about the Andes, and what type of terrain, flora, and fauna can you expe…

Eva 'Evita' Perón, a woman who caused so much amazement and admiration over the decades that even Madonna, the Queen of Pop, begged to play her in a film. A young woman who, despite growing into the wealth of Argentine politics, actually came from a poor background and knew what it meant to be hungry. The wife of controversial president, Juan Domin…

Do you love soccer? Argentinians do, that's for sure. Their two top teams - Boca Juniors and River Plate - are actually among the fiercest rivals in world soccer, and have seen some of the most amazing encounters that Latin American football has to offer. In this fantastic DUAL episode, we find Lucas and Paula getting ready to enter this year's Sup…

Sometimes, waiting for law enforcement to help is not enough, especially if the local police are involved in the crime you expect them to solve. Such was the belief of a brave mother named Miriam Rodriguez, who in January of 2014, realized that nobody was going to help her get her daughter back after she was kidnapped. This woman, one of the braves…

How much do you know about what goes on in North Korea? Probably not much. Perhaps you think that a lot of what is said is just negative propaganda by anti-communists. But what if I told you that a Venezuelan communist was imprisoned there and got to see how horrible the prisoner treatment was up close? Now, you must be wondering... what was a Vene…

Have you ever heard of the Mapuche people, or the historical country of “Wallmapu”? Probably not, and there’s a reason for that: the Mapuche people have been conquered, colonized, and excluded for centuries, since the Spanish arrived in South America... to the present day when modern governments continue to ostracize and bar them from possessing th…

While capitalism has undoubtedly brought us some of our most impressive advancements as a species, it has also done some pretty terrible stuff to people across the world. Latin America is not an exception. In the early 20th century, as corporations in the United States began looking outward and started entering poorer countries (under the guise of …

When you watch a pirate movie, have you ever asked yourself where most of them are based? Heck, isn't the most famous movie pirate saga based in, precisely, Latin America (the Caribbean)? And I bet you didn't know that most of those characters, events, and legends are based (loosely) on real stories and treasures - yes, it's not an exaggeration whe…