Latin American Perspectives
Latin American Perspectives is a podcast featuring interviews with editors, academics, and activists about current research, political-economic issues, and social movements in Latin America. It is tied to the long-running academic journal of the same name, which focuses on progressive analyses of capitalism, imperialism, and socialism in the Americas. The show is hosted by sociologist and LAP coordinating editor Alexander Scott, with a companion series called Editors' Choice that discusses new books in Latin American and Latino studies.
Episodes
Fighting Against the Return of Bolsonarismo: Brazil's First Round Election w/ Felipe Antunes de Oliveira
On October 4, Brazilians voted in the first round of a general election, and for the first time since 1998 Lula did not finish first. Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, eldest son of the imprisoned former president, took 47 percent to Lula's 45, forcing a runoff on October 25, while the Bolsonaro family's Liberal Party became the largest force in both houses of Congress. Two days after the vote, Felipe A
Editor's Choice Ep. 14: Hispanic Technocracy — From Fascism to Catholic Authoritarianism w/ Daniel Kressel
Hosts Alexander Scott and Tomás Crowder-Taraborrelli speak with Daniel Gunnar Kressel about his book Hispanic Technocracy: From Fascism to Catholic Authoritarianism in Spain, Argentina, and Chile, 1945–1991 (Cambridge University Press, 2025). Kressel argues that fascism did not simply die in 1945 but mutated, and that across Franco's Spain, Onganía's Argentina, and Pinochet's Chile a distinct post
Imperialism Ain't What It Used to Be: Cuba, Venezuela, and the Return of the Colonial State w/ Andrew Smolski
Andrew Smolski returns to the podcast to continue ouron going conversation on US imperialism and Cuba, recorded September 11, 2026. We discuss labor and neoliberalization in Mexico, the Cuban economy from the Special Period to the present, the new sanctions on Cuba and the US oil agreement with Venezuela, and the return of a nineteenth-century colonial politics in the hemisphere. Andrew Smolski is
Political Ecology, Gender, and the Environment in Latin America (Parte 2): conversación con las autoras del número
En esta segunda parte de nuestra conversación sobre el número de enero de 2026 de Latin American Perspectives, "Political Ecology, Gender and the Environment in Latin America", vamos directamente a la investigación junto a cuatro de las autoras del dossier. La discusión, facilitada por la coeditora del número Mayarí Castillo (socióloga de la Universidad Mayor), reúne a Evelyn Arriagada, Paula Cont
Editor's Choice Ep. 13: P FKN R: Bad Bunny and Puerto Rican Resistance w/ Vanessa Díaz and Petra R. Rivera-Rideau
Hosts Alexander Scott and Tomás Crowder-Taraborrelli speak with Vanessa Díaz and Petra R. Rivera-Rideau about their new book P FKN R: How Bad Bunny Became the Global Voice of Puerto Rican Resistance (Duke University Press, 2026). Díaz and Rivera-Rideau — creators of the "Bad Bunny Syllabus" — situate Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio within more than a century of Puerto Rican history and a much lon
US Imperialism and Cuban Development w/ Andrew Smolski
Alexander Scott speaks with rural sociologist Andrew Smolski about U.S. imperialism and the long history of empire in Cuban development. Drawing on Smolski's archival research and his work on Cuban agriculture, the conversation traces how imperialism has shaped Cuba's capacity to develop across five centuries — from Spanish colonialism, the Haitian Revolution, and the rise of the sugar-slavery c
Editor's Choice Ep. 12: Emergent Quilombos: Black Life and Hip-Hop in Brazil w/ Bryce Henson
Bryce Henson joins the pod to discuss his book Emergent Quilombos: Black Life and Hip Hop in Brazil (University of Texas Press, 2023). Drawing on ethnographic research in Salvador da Bahia, Henson explores Brazilian hip hop as a diasporic cultural and political movement rooted in Black radical traditions, anti-racist struggle, and collective community formation. Throughout the conversation, the gr
U.S. Imperialism Enters a New Stage w/ Steve Ellner
In this episode of the Latin American Perspectives Podcast, Alexander Scott speaks with historian and political scientist Steve Ellner about the changing nature of U.S. imperialism and the escalating political crisis in Venezuela. Drawing on Ellner's recent work, the conversation examines sanctions, economic warfare, "hyper-imperialism," the Venezuelan opposition, and the broader geopolitical tens
Political Ecology, Gender, and the Environment in Latin America con Mayarí Castillo
En este episodio del podcast de Latin American Perspectives, conversamos con Mayarí Castillo, socióloga de la Universidad Mayor y coeditora del número de enero de 2026, sobre los principales ejes que estructuran este nuevo dossier. A lo largo de la conversación, abordamos la ecología política como un marco para comprender la relación entre sociedad, naturaleza y poder en América Latina, y exploram
Amazon Rainforest and Socio-Ecological Alternatives in Latin America w/ Claudia Horn
LAP coordinating editor Claudia Horn (King's College London) joins the pod to discuss the September 2025 issue: Amazon Rainforest and Socio-Ecological Alternatives in Latin America. What is the Amazon—and how should we understand it beyond dominant environmental, state-centered, or extractivist narratives? Our conversation explores the concept of multiplicity as a way of rethinking the Amazon as a
Editor's Choice Ep. 11 (Part 2): Dependency and Crisis in Brazil and Argentina w/ Felipe Antunes de Oliveira
Part 2 of our interview with Felipe Antunes de Oliveira on his recent book Dependency and Crisis in Brazil and Argentina: A Critique of Market and State Utopias (2024). In this timely and theoretically rigorous work, Antunes de Oliveira examines why the two largest countries in South America fail to materialize the development they continually promise to achieve. Instead of approaching the topic
Editor's Choice Ep. 11: Dependency and Crisis in Brazil and Argentina w/ Felipe Antunes de Oliveira (Part 1)
In this special two-part edition of Editors' Choice, Felipe Antunes de Oliveira, joins us to discuss his recent book Dependency and Crisis in Brazil and Argentina: A Critique of Market and State Utopias (2024). In this timely and theoretically rigorous work, Antunes de Oliveira examines why the two largest countries in South America fail to materialize the development they continually promise to
Editor's Choice Ep. 10: Una historia del cine documental argentino con Javier Campo
En este episodio, conversamos con Javier Campo, editor de Una historia del cine documental argentino: Tomo 1 (1896–1989) y Tomo 2 (1990-2024), publicados por Prometeo Editorial. La charla recorre la evolución del cine documental argentino desde la era del cine mudo hasta los años de la dictadura y la transición democrática, mostrando cómo distintos realizadores han utilizado el documental para abo
Immigration, Asylum, and Resistance w/ Sarah England & Alfonso Gonzales Toribio
Anthropologist Sarah England and Political Scientist Alfonso Gonzales Toribio join the pod to discuss their new issue of LAP "Latin Americans Seeking Asylum in North America," as well as the history of US immigration policy and the current crisis of immigration enforcement and deportations in the United States. Sarah England is Associate Professor of Anthropology at Soka University of America and
Cuba, Culture, and Politics w/ Sandra Levinson
An excerpt from a political education session among LAP editors, featuring remarks by Sandra Levinson, executive director and co-founder of the nonprofit Center for Cuban Studies, and the founder and curator of the Cuban Art Space gallery in Brooklyn, New York. In her talk, Sandra offers her reflections on the contemporary state of Cuban art, culture and politics—drawing on decades of experien
Editor's Choice Ep. 9: Hip-Hop vs. Argentina con Juan Data
Journalist and music historian Juan Data joins us to discuss his 2023 book, Hip-Hop vs. Argentina (Felipe Ibánez Editor)—an in-depth exploration of the evolution of hip-hop culture in Argentina. Drawing on his experiences as an early participant in the scene and his expertise as a music industry journalist, Data traces how hip-hop, once viewed with skepticism, grew into a powerful cultural force a
Autonomías Indígenas con Edgars Martínez Navarette y Richard Stahler-Sholk
Los editores colaboradores de LAP, Edgars Martínez Navarrete y Richard Stahler-Sholk, acompañan el podcast para conversar sobre su número doble de LAP: Autonomías indígenas frente al capitalismo contemporáneo, publicado en junio y septiembre de 2024. Edgars Martínez Navarrete es Doctor en Antropología Social por el Centro de Investigaciones y Estudios Superiores en Antropología Social. Actualment
Blue Economies and Ocean Grabbing in Latin America
LAP contributing editors Nemer Narchi, Gustavo Goulart Moreira Moura, and George Leddy join the pod to discuss the May 2024 issue of LAP, "Blue Economies and Ocean Grabbing in Latin America." Themes covered include the intersections of political economy and marine ecology, environmental justice, and different political-economic and policy paths for the well-being of coastal communities. Nemer E.
The Agrarian Question as an Ecological Question
LAP contributing editors Daniela García Grandón, Joana Salém Vasconcelos, and Andrew R. Smolski join the pod to discuss the January 2024 issue of LAP, "The Agrarian Question as an Ecological Question." The themes covered include the classic debate over agrarianism and development, the history of land reform in Latin America during the twentieth century, and the significance of centering ecology in
Editor's Choice Ep. 8: Agrarian History of the Cuban Revolution w/ Joana Salém Vasconcelos
Historian Joana Salém Vasconcelos joins us to discuss her book Agrarian History of the Cuban Revolution: Dilemmas of Peripheral Socialism (Brill 2023; Haymarket 2023). Translated from Portuguese and originally published in Brazil in 2016, this meticulously researched study unpacks the complicated political and economic challenges Cuba has faced since its 1959 revolution, demonstrating why the su
Editor's Choice Ep. 7: Reform and Political Crisis in Brazil w/ Armando Boito
Dando início à Segunda temporada do LAP Editor's Choice, nos juntamos ao renomado cientista político marxista e teórico Armando Boito para discutir seu recém-lançado livro "Reform and Political Crisis in Brazil: Class Conflicts in Workers' Party Governments and the Rise of Bolsonaro Neo-fascism" (disponível em inglês). O livro examina o processo político brasileiro entre os anos de 2003 e 2020, fo
The Labor of Extraction in Latin America w/ Kristin Ciupa & Jeffery Webber
Professor's Kristin Ciupa and Jeffery Webber join the podcast to discuss their new co-edited volume The Labor of Extraction in Latin America that was recently published by Rowman & Littlefield as part of the "Latin American Perspectives in the Classroom" series. This edited volume traces the power of labor in extractive sectors in Latin America starting in the 1980s and shows how labor shapes
Editor's Choice Ep. 6: Generation Exile w/ Rodrigo Dorfman
Filmmaker and author Rodrigo Dorfman joins the podcast to discuss his 2023 memoir Generation Exile: The Lives I Leave Behind. Spanning four continents and a hundred years of personal history, Generation Exile Provides an insightful meditation on one man's experience as a political exile and migrant and his life-long quest to establish family, roots, and a sense of belonging by bearing witness to
Music, Politics, and Social Movements in Latin America
LAP contributing editor and ethnomusicologist Jonathan Ritter joins the podcast to discuss the May 2023 issue of LAP Music, Politics, and Social Movements in Latin America. Topics covered include the legacy of influential musical and political movements in Latin America alongside research on more contemporary mobilizations. Jonathan Ritter is the department chair and associate professor of music
Editor's Choice Ep. 5: 'Cannibal Capitalism' w/ Nancy Fraser
Renowned marxist feminist scholar Nancy Fraser joins us to discuss her recent book Cannibal Capitalism: How our System is Devouring Democracy, Care, and the Planet – and What We Can Do About It (Verso 2022). In this tightly argued and urgent volume, Fraser charts the voracious appetite of capital, tracking it from crisis point to crisis point, from ecological devastation to the collapse of democr
Editor's Choice Ep. 4: 'The Condor Trials' w/ Francesca Lessa
International relations scholar Francesca Lessa joins us to discuss her book The Condor Trials: Transnational Repression and Human Rights in South America, (Yale University Press 2022). Through the voices of survivors and witnesses, human rights activists, judicial actors, journalists, and historians, The Condor Trials unravels the secrets of transnational repression masterminded by South Americ
Editor's Choice Ep. 3: 'La Violencia en El Espacio' con Carlos Salamanca Villamizar y Pamela Colombo
El arquitecto y antropólogo Carlos Salamanca Villamizar y socióloga Pamela Colombo conversan con nosotros sobre su libro La Violencia en El Espacio: Políticas urbanas y territoriales durante la dictadura cívico-militar en Argentina (1976-1983) (Universidad Nacional de Rosario Editora 2019). PAMELA COLOMBO, es profesora en el Departamento de Sociología de la Université Laval (Québec, Canada). Es
El Estado y la Acumulación de Capital en México con Verónica Silva
Editora contribuyente del LAP Verónica Silva acompaña el podcast para conversar sobre su nuevo número para Marzo 2023: "El Estado y la Acumulación de Capital en México." Los temas discutido incluyen el proceso histórico del neoliberalismo y sus efectos en las políticas, la sociedad, y la económia de México. Además, conversamos sobre la presidencia de Andrés Manuel López Obrador, y los fracasos y
Editor's Choice Ep. 2: 'Pandemia' con Daniel Feierstein
El sociólogo argentino Daniel Feierstein conversa con nosotros sobre su libro Pandemia: Una balance social y político de la crisis del COVID-19 ( Fondo de Cultura Económica 2021). Durante la pandemia, Feierstein participó en consejos nacionales y provinciales, y grupos interdisciplinarios para enfrentar la crisis de COVID-19. Su libro analiza esta experiencia y las consecuencias diferentes de la
Brazil Under Bolsonaro w/ James N. Green & Tulio Ferreira
LAP contributing editors James N. Green and Tulio Ferreira join the podcast to discuss the January 2023 LAP issue "Brazil Under Bolsonaro: Social, Political, and Economic Impacts in the Country and in Latin America." Topics covered include the causes, consequences, and tragedies of Jair Bolsonaro's presidency, the political history of the far-right and fascist movements in Brazil, and the fascist
Editor's Choice Ep. 1: Coup, A Story of Violence and Resistance in Bolivia
Authors Linda Farthing and Thomas Becker join us on our inaugural episode of "Editor's Choice" to discuss their book Coup: A Story of Violence and Resistance in Bolivia (Haymarket Books 2021). Coup tells the story of the 2019 Bolivian political crisis, providing a critical analysis of the 14 years of the MAS government that preceded it as well as the MAS return to power in 2020. It includes pers
Social Struggle in Neoliberal Central America w/ Adrienne Pine
Anthropologist and LAP contributing editor Adrienne Pine discusses the November 2022 issue of LAP "Social Struggle in Neoliberal Central America." Topics covered include neoliberalism and the political-economic roots of violence and conflict in Central America, criticism of prominent (mis)representations of the issues confronting the region, and a case study examining psychiatric hospitals and soc
Marxism, Critical Thinking, and Andean Futures w/ Ronaldo Munck
Renowned intellectual and LAP contributing editor Professor Ronaldo Munck joins us to discuss the July 2022 issue of LAP "Marxism, Critical Thinking, and Andean Futures." Topics covered include the ideas and life of twentieth-century Marxist intellectual José Carlos Mariátegui, the critical thinking of some contemporary South American intellectuals, and the relevance of theorizing Andean futures a
Reassessing Development: Dependency Theories and Debates w/ Ronald Chilcote & Joana Salem Vasconcelos
Alexander Scott speaks with LAP founding editor Ronald Chilcote and coordinating editor Joana Salem Vasconcelos to discuss their double issue of LAP "Reassessing Development: Past and Present Marxist Theories of Dependency and Periphery Debates," published in January and March of 2022. Topics covered include the founding and origins of the journal Latin American Perspectives, the history of depend
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