In this episode of Plaza Central, host Benjamin Gedan, Director of the Wilson Center’s Latin America Program, discusses President Biden’s trip to South America with Brian Nichols, Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs. As his term comes to an end, Biden’s journey to the Amazon, the APEC summit in Lima, Peru, and the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, might be his last major opportunity to shape US priorities for Latin America. In their conservation, Nichols addresses Latin America's importance to US policy on climate change, migration, and the defense of democracy, and the US approach to the crisis in Venezuela and the new leadership in Mexico.

Host Beatriz García Nice, an associate at the Wilson Center's Latin America Program, interviews Macarena Sáez, executive director of the Women's Rights Division at Human Rights Watch, to explore the state of women's rights in Latin America. They discuss the backlash against feminism, in the context of populism and democratic decline, but also the resilience and creativity of feminist movements, which are increasingly addressing broader social concerns, such as childcare, poverty, and human rights.

This month, Nicaraguan strongman Daniel Ortega released 135 political prisoners, including students and religious leaders. The United States played a key role in facilitating their resettlement in Guatemala. Host Benjamin Gedan is joined by Eric Jacobstein, deputy assistant secretary in the State Department's Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, and Enrique Roig, deputy assistant secretary in the State Department's Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, who both played a role in the prisoner release, to discuss the implications for Nicaragua’s future and US strategy to promote a return to democracy.

Ambassador Mark Green, president and CEO of the Wilson Center, interviews Edmundo González, Venezuela’s opposition presidential candidate, ahead of the July 28, 2024 election. González shares his vision for the country’s future and discusses the challenges of opposing an authoritarian regime and the hopes for democratic change.

El Salvador’s popular and controversial president, Nayib Bukele, has won a second term. Host Benjamin Gedan is joined by Noah Bullock, executive director of the human rights organization Cristosal, to discuss the future of El Salvador, including the crackdown on criminal gangs and its implications for the rule of law.

En este episodio de Plaza Central, la exministra ecuatoriana Vianna Maino habla sobre los avances y la hoja de ruta pendiente para construir una Ecuador digital inclusivo, los programas implementados hasta ahora, y las políticas tecnológicas que se requieren para cerrar la brecha digital, expandir la conectividad en áreas rurales y convertir el acceso en un derecho.

With corruption fighter Bernardo Arévalo finally in office, Latin America Program Global Fellow Catherine Osborn speaks with Guatemalan human rights lawyer Alfredo Ortega about the challenges the new president is facing as he attempts to implement his ambitious reform agenda.

Latin America Program Director Benjamin Gedan interviews global fellow James Bosworth about his predictions for 2024. They discuss Mexico’s presidential election, Argentina’s economy, and the outlook for Bernardo Arévalo’s first year in office in Guatemala.