Dem Lawmakers Condemn Trump’s Attempts to Influence Upcoming Colombian Elections

A group of Democratic members of the US Congress on Friday condemned President Donald Trump and Republican lawmakers’ attempts to influence the results of Colombia’s upcoming presidential runoff, calling it an “insult” to the Colombian people’s sovereignty. “We see actions by US President Donald Trump and other members of Congress to endorse, advocate for, or otherwise tip the scales to a…
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Colombia’s Presidential Election Could Reshape Relations With Trump Administration

On Sunday, Colombians will go to the polls for the first round of their presidential elections, a race that could radically reshape Colombia’s relations with the United States at a moment of political turmoil and polarization in Latin America. The key contenders include the ruling party’s candidate, Iván Cepeda; conservative outsider Abelardo De la Espriella; and Paloma Valencia of former…
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Workers, Students, Indigenous Movements Shut Down Bolivia in Popular Rebellion

For more than a week, the nation of Bolivia has been in a state of full-on revolt. In response to neoliberal reforms by the recently elected right-wing government led by President Rodrigo Paz, unions have launched a general strike, peasants and Indigenous peoples have set up dozens of roadblocks throughout the country, and massive marches have been held in the capital, La Paz.
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HondurasGate: Leaks reveal the far-right plan to undermine Latin America’s left

HondurasGate: Leaks reveal the far-right plan to undermine Latin America’s left

On the morning of April 30, the Spanish website Diario Red and the television channel Canal Red began to release a series of leaked audio recordings between powerful right-wing figures in the Americas. They called it HondurasGate.

By May 6, the outlets had released a total of 37 WhatsApp, Signal, and Telegram messages. What they reveal is a shocking network pushing to undermine leftist leaders in the region. It’s one of the biggest political scandals in the Americas in years, and it implicates the Trump administration, Israel, Argentina’s libertarian president, and a load of right-wing Honduran officials in underhanded activities to take down political opponents, with thousands of dollars funneled into a right-wing propaganda outlet allegedly located in the United States.

The messages have been independently verified twice, confirming that they are not AI-generated. And you have likely heard little, if anything, about them.

Today, host Michael Fox walks you through the leaks—what they are, what they mean, and the repercussions for the region.

This is Episode 11 of Under the Shadow, Season 2.

Under the Shadow is an investigative narrative podcast series that walks back in time, telling the story of the past by visiting momentous places in the present. Season 2 responds in real time to the Trump administration’s onslaught on Latin America.

Hosted by Latin America-based journalist Michael Fox.

This podcast is produced in partnership between The Real News Network and NACLA.

It is supported, in part, by Global Exchange.

Theme music by Michael Fox’s band, Monte Perdido. Monte Perdido’s 2024 album Ofrenda is available on Spotify, Deezer, Apple Music, YouTube or wherever you listen to music.

Other music from Blue Dot Sessions and Epidemic Sound.

Script editing by Heather Gies. Hosted, written, produced,

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Rubio Baselessly Smears Bolivia’s Protesters as “Criminals and Drug Traffickers”

In the midst of a wave of mass protests in Bolivia, Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote on X that the United States “stands squarely in support of Bolivia’s legitimate constitutional government,” smearing the protesters as “criminals and drug traffickers” who he would not allow to “overthrow democratically elected leaders in our hemisphere.” Rubio’s comments on Bolivia came after three weeks…
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Despite Trump’s Oil Blockade, Quiet Resistance of Daily Life Continues in Cuba

For a Caribbean city known for its effervescent, out-of-doors culture, Havana has relatively few cars on its streets, not many people on its sidewalks, and a handful of places open for patrons. Life at midweek feels like a Sunday or a holiday. The background noise of competing internal-combustion engines, common to every modern city, has been replaced by the discrete whir of electric vehicles.
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